r was named "Ben Brace," but whether this was a real name or
one which he had acquired at sea, I could never tell. It was the only
name that I ever heard given him, and that by which he was entered in
the ship's books. It is quite possible that "Ben Brace" was his real
name--for among seamen such appellations as "Tom Bowline", "Bill
Buntline," and the like are not uncommon--having descended from father
to son through a long line of sailor ancestry.

Ben Brace then was the name of my protector, and although the name is
elsewhere famous, for the sake of truth I cannot alter it. How I came
to secure the patronage of Ben was not through any merit of my own, nor
indeed did it arise from any very delicate sympathy on his part. The
companionship in which he had long lived had naturally hardened his
feelings like the rest--though not by any means to so great an extent.
He was only a little indifferent to human suffering--having witnessed
much of it--and usage will make callous the most sensitive natures.
Moreover, Ben had himself suffered ill-treatment, as I afterwards learnt
from him--savage abuse had he suffered, and this had sunk into his
spirit and rendered him somewhat morose. There was some apology for him
if his manner was none of the gentlest. His natural disposition had
been abused, for at bottom there was as much kindness in his nature as
belongs to the average of men.

A rough, splendid seaman was Brace--the very best on board--and this
point was generally conceded by the others--though he was not without
one or two rivals.

It was a splendid sight to see Ben Brace, at the approach of a sudden
squall, "swarming" up the shrouds to reef a topsail, his fine bushy
curls blowing out behind, while upon his face sat that calm but daring
expression, as if he defied the storm and could master it. He was a
large man, but well proportioned--rather lithe and sinewy than robust,
with a shock of dark-brown hair in their thick curls somewhat matted,
covering the whole of his head; for he was still but a young man, and
there were no signs of baldness. His face was good, rather darkish in
complexion, and he wore neither beard nor whisker--which was rather odd
for a sailor, whose opportunities for shaving are none of the best. But
Ben liked a clean face, and always kept one. He was no sea dandy,
however, and never exhibited himself, even on Sundays, with fine blue
jacket and fancy collars as some others were wont to do. O