wn quaint fashion to console him. But in vain.

Martin grew quite desperate as he thought of the misery into which poor
Aunt Dorothy Grumbit would be plunged, on learning that he had been
swept out to sea in a little boat, and drowned, as she would naturally
suppose. In his frenzy he entreated and implored the captain to send
him back in the boat and even threatened to knock out his brains with a
handspike if he did not; but the captain smiled and told him that it was
his own fault. He had no business to be putting to sea in a small boat
in rough weather, and he might be thankful he wasn't drowned. He
wouldn't turn back now for fifty pounds twice told.

At length Martin became convinced that all hope of returning home was
gone. He went quietly below, threw himself into one of the sailor's
berths, turned his face to the wall, and wept long and bitterly.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE VOYAGE, A PIRATE, CHASE, WRECK, AND ESCAPE.

Time reconciles a man to almost anything. In the course of time Martin
Rattler became reconciled to his fate, and went about the ordinary
duties of a cabin-boy on board the Firefly just as if he had been
appointed to that office in the ordinary way,--with the consent of the
owners and by the advice of his friends. The captain, Skinflint by
name, and as surly an old fellow as ever walked a quarter-deck, agreed
to pay him wages, "if he behaved well." The steward, under whose
immediate authority he was placed, turned out to be a hearty,
good-natured young fellow, and was very kind to him. But Martin's great
friend was Barney O'Flannagan, the cook, with whom he spent many an hour
in the night watches, talking over plans, and prospects, and
retrospects, and foreign lands.

As Martin had no clothes except those on his back, which fortunately
happened to be new and good, Barney gave him a couple of blue-striped
shirts, and made him a jacket, pantaloons, and slippers of canvass; and,
what was of much greater importance, taught him how to make and mend the
same for himself.

"Ye see, Martin, lad," he said, while thus employed one day, many weeks
after leaving port, "it's a great thing, intirely, to be able to help
yerself. For my part I niver travel without my work-box in my pocket."

"Your work-box!" said Martin, laughing.

"Jist so. An' it consists of wan sailmaker's needle, a ball o' twine,
and a clasp-knife. Set me down with these before a roll o' canvass and
I'll make ye a'most anything.