lower me down; they were his
arms that received, himself that bore me to his cabin. Like a wilful
boy who had slain his pet lamb, or a passionate girl her dove, he
mourned over me. It was a long time before my respiratory organs could
be brought into play. My recovery was slow, and it was some time before
I could arrange my ideas. A cot was slung for me in the cabin, and
bewildered and exhausted, I fell into a deep sleep.

I awoke a little after midnight perfectly composed, and suffering only
from the weal that the cord had made across my chest. Before a table,
and his countenance lighted by a single lantern, sat the captain. His
features expressed a depth of grief and a remorse that were genuine. He
sat motionless, with his eyes fixed upon my cot: my face he could not
see, owing to the depth of the shadow in which I lay. I moved: he
advanced to my cot with the gentleness of a woman, and softly uttered:--

"Ralph, my dear boy, do you sleep?"

The tones of his voice fell soothingly upon my ear like the music of a
mother's prayer.

"No, Captain Reud; but I am very thirsty."

In an instant he was at my side with some weak wine and water. I took
it from the hand of him whom, a few hours before, in my animosity I
could have slain.

"Ralph," said he, as he received back the tumbler, "Ralph, are we
friends?"

"Oh! Captain Reud, how could you treat a poor lad thus, who respected,
who loved you so much?"

"I was mad--do you forgive me, Ralph?" and he took my not unwilling
hand.

"To be sure; but do me one little favour in return."

"Anything, anything, Ralph--I'll never mast-head you again."

"Oh, I was not thinking of that; I ought not to have put you in a
passion. Punish me--mast-head me--do anything, Captain Reud, but call
me not bastard."

He made no reply: he pressed my hand fervently; he put it to his lips
and kissed it--on my soul he did: then, after a pause, gently murmured
"Good-night;" and, as he passed into the after-cabin to his bed, I
distinctly heard him exclaim, "God forgive me, how I have wronged that
boy!"

The next day we were better friends than ever; and for the three years
that we remained together, not a reproachful word or an angry look ever
passed between us.

I must be permitted to make three observations upon this, to me,
memorable transaction. The first is, that at that time I had not the
power of retention of those natural feelings of anger, which all should
carry with