dig at him with the knife, only to
receive himself a jerk in the back of the neck from the lanyard. There
was an old box on the main hatch. Without being noticed by any of us,
our old enemy--the red-headed cook--was standing on it, with an iron
bolt in his hand. The mate took in the situation, though, and, on the
last lap, he crossed the deck at the main hatch. As Jimmy came along,
the cook hit him a whack on the head with the piece of iron that laid
my poor friend on the deck _hors de combat_. The cook had no time to
gloat over his victory. He was howling out, "Wurrah, wurrah!" and made
remarkably quick time for the cabin, landing below without his feet
touching the stairs. A sailor was after him with a sheath-knife minus
the lanyard attachment. Our disabled shipmate was carried forward and
laid on deck. Having no fine Turkish sponges or decorated wash-bowls, we
could not dress his head according to modern style. We did the best we
could, however, which was to lower a bucket over the vessel's side and
fill it with dirty sea water. His head received several good bathings.
The treatment was liberal and heroic, the contents of a full bucket
being dumped on him at a time. It helped to revive him and to wash off
the blood, simultaneously.

At last success rewarded our efforts. The patient sat up. When he had
got the salt water out of his mouth, he wanted to know "what in ---- we
were trying to do with him?" It being nearly ten o'clock, all hands
concluded to have supper. The cook was afraid to come on deck, so we
went to the galley and took all the food in sight. It was carried into
the forecastle. The chandelier--a tin cup full of grease with a rag for
a wick--was trimmed and lighted. Our frugal repast was interrupted by
the captain's sticking his head down the scuttle and inquiring if Jimmy
wanted a bandage and salve for his head. Jimmy very curtly told him to
"Go to ----." The captain was desirous that the crew should desert and
forfeit the money due to them, for he could get other men for one third
of the amount we were getting. Nine dollars a month for ordinary, and
eleven dollars a month for able seamen was the rate in Rio; while our
pay from Callao was twenty-five dollars and thirty-five dollars per
month. My chum and I had about forty dollars due to each of us, and I
intended to get it if possible. The rest of the men wanted to remain on
the vessel on account of the big wages, and the hardest part of the
voyage bein