nd I fancied it
was becoming more difficult to keep my footing at the window; and just
when Alister had been pointing out a queer red ship with one stumpy mast
crowned by a sort of cage, and telling me that it was a light-ship, our
own vessel began to creak and groan worse than ever, and the floor under
our feet seemed to run away from them, and by the time you had got used
to going down, it caught you and jerked you up again, till my head
refused to think anything about anything, and I half dropped and was
half helped by Alister on to the flat of my back as before.

As to him, I may as well say at once, that I never knew him affected at
sea by the roughest wind that could blow, and he sat on a box and looked
at me half pityingly, and half, I suppose, with the sort of curiosity I
had felt about him.

"I'm feared the life 'll be a bit over rough for ye," he said kindly.
"Would ye think of going up and disclosing yourself before we're away
from all chance of getting ashore?"

"No, no!" said I, vehemently, and added more feebly, "I dare say I shall
be all right soon."

"Maybe," said the Scotchman.

He went back to the window and gazed out, seeing, I have no doubt,
plenty to interest him; though my eyes, if opened for a moment, only
shrank back and closed again instinctively, with feelings of
indescribable misery. So indefinite time went on, Alister occasionally
making whispered comments which I did not hear, and did not trouble
myself to ask questions about, being utterly indifferent to the answers.
But I felt no temptation to give in, I only remember feeling one intense
desire, and it amounted to a prayer, that if these intolerable
sensations did not abate, I might at any rate become master enough of
them to do my duty in their teeth. The thought made me more alert, and
when the Scotch lad warned me that steps were coming our way, I implored
him to hide deeper under the sails, if he wished, without consideration
for me, as I had resolved to face my fate at once, and be either killed
or cured.

"Thank ye kindly," said Alister, "but there's small use in hiding now.
They can but pitch us overboard, and I've read that drowning is by far
an easier death than being starved, if ye come to that."

It was in this frame of mind that a sailor found us, and took us
prisoners with so little difficulty that he drew the scarcely fair
conclusion that we were the cheekiest, coolest hands of all the nasty,
sneaking, longshore loaf