y practice of large vessels in port,
Wilder had strained his eyes, until they appeared nearly ready to start
from their sockets. The black mass, which had been lifted from the boat,
seemed, while it lay against the background of sky, to possess the
proportions of the human form. The seamen gathered about this object After
much bustle, and a good deal of low conversation, the burthen or body,
whichever it might be called, was raised by the men, and the whole
disappeared together, behind the masts, boats, and guns which crowded the
forward part of the vessel.

The whole event was of a character to attract the attention of Wilder.
His eye was not, however, so intently riveted on the groupe in the
gangway, as to prevent his detecting a dozen black objects, that were
suddenly thrust forward, from behind the spars and other dark masses of
the vessel. They might be blocks swinging in the air, but they bore also a
wonderful resemblance to human heads. The simultaneous manner in which
they both appeared and disappeared, served to confirm this impression;
nor, to confess the truth, had our adventurer any doubt that curiosity had
drawn so many inquiring countenances from their respective places of
concealment. He had not much leisure, however, to reflect on all these
little accompaniments of his situation, before he was rejoined by his
former companion, who, to all appearance, was again left, with himself, to
the entire possession of the deck.

"You know the trouble of getting off the people from the shore," the
officer observed, "when a ship is ready to sail."

"You seem to have a summary method of hoisting them in," returned Wilder.

"Ah! you speak of the fellow on the whip? Your eyes are good, friend, to
tell a jack-knife from a marling-spike, at this distance. But the lad was
mutinous; that is, not absolutely mutinous--but, drunk. As mutinous as a
man can well be, who can neither speak, sit, nor stand."

Then, as if as well content with his humour as with this simple
explanation, the other laughed and chuckled, in a manner that showed he
was in perfect good humour with himself.

"But all this time you are left on deck," he quickly added, "and the
Captain is waiting your appearance in the cabin: Follow; I will be your
pilot."

"Hold," said Wilder; "will it not be as well to announce my visit?"

"He knows it already: Little takes place aboard, here, that does not
reach his ears before it gets into the log-book."

Wilde