with a man from Port Albert to the Seal Islands in a boat.  I knew of a place where there was a cave, a big hollow under the rocks, where th’ seals used to go to sleep, and a blow hole coming out of it to th’ top of the island.  We hired a boat and went there, and made a kind of a door which we could drop down with a rope to shut up the mouth of th’ cave and catch the seals inside.  We killed so many that we couldn’t take th’ skins away all at once in the boat to Port Albert; we had to come back again.  I thowt to myself I’d be richer than ever I was in my life; th’ skins were worth hundreds of pounds.  I had agreed to go halves with th’ Port Albert man, but, you see, he’d ha’ never gotten a penny but for me, because he knew nothing whatever about sealing.  It didn’t look quite fair to give him half; and then I thowt what a lucky thing it would be for me if he were drowned; and he was drowned, but mind you, I didn’t do it.  It was this way.  When we got back to th’ blow-hole th’ weather was bad.  One o’ them sou’east gales set in, and th’ big waves dashed agen the rocks, roaring and sending spray right across th’ island.  We had packed away all th’ seal-skins snug in th’ boat and pulled th’ door up from th’ bottom of th’ chimney before th’ gale started.  When we were taking down the rope and tackle and th’ shears, th’ water began to come boiling up th’ blow hole and sinking down again.  There was a big rush of wind, first up and then down sucking you in like.  It was a ticklish time, and just as we were going to lower th’ shears, th’ Port Albert man made a kind of slip, and was sucked in with the wind, and went head first into the boiling water and out of sight.  I took hold of the slack of a rope, thinking I’d throw it to him; he might get hold of it, and then I could pull him out.  In about half a minute he was thrown up again by th’ next wave right to the top of th’ chimney.  I could see his face within four feet of me.  He threw up his hands for something to catch at and looked at me, and then gave a fearful scream.  I didn’t throw him the rope; something stopped me.  He might not have got hold of it, you know, anyhow.  He went down again among th’ white water, and I never saw him no more—­only when I am dreaming.  I always dream about him.  I can see his face come up above the boiling water, and when he screams I wake up.  I can never get clear of him out of my head; and yet, mind you, I didn’t drown him; he fell in of his self, and I just missed throwing him th’ rope, that’s all; and I wasn’t bound to do it, was I?

“As for the money I got for the seal skins, I could have lived comfortably on it all my life, but it never did me no good.  I started drinking, trying to forget that Port Albert man, but it was no use.  Every shilling was soon gone, and eversince I’ve been doing odd jobs and loafing about the publics.  I’ve never done no good and never shall.  Let’s have just another nobbler afore we turn in.”