and unhumorously, "I can't keep
them."

"I'd like to know why not?"

"I want to belong to the brotherhood of man, not the brotherhood of the
Masons."

He looked puzzled for a moment, then his countenance cleared.

"That's all right, Son ... you just keep those cards. They might come in
handy if you find yourself stranded anywhere."

When my father turned his back, with a thought almost prayerful to the
spirit of Shelley, I flung the Masonic cards overboard.

* * * * *

After dusk, the crew poured _en masse_ to the nearest waterfront saloon
with me. The ten dollars didn't last long.

* * * * *

"His old man has lots of money."

* * * * *

Our last night at the pier was a night of a million stars.

The sailmaker, with whom I had become well acquainted, waddled up to me.
He was bow-legged. He waddled instead of walked. We sat talking on the
foreward hatch....

"I'm glad we're getting off to-morrow," I remarked.

"--we might not. We lack a man for the crew yet."

"--thought we had the full number?"

"We did. But one of the boys in your party strayed away ... went to
another saloon and had a few more drinks ... and someone stuck him with
a knife in the short ribs ... he's in the hospital."

"But can't Captain Schantze pick up another man right away?"

"The consulate's closed till ten to-morrow morning. We're to sail at
five ... so he can't sign on a new sailor before ... of course he might
shanghai someone ... but the law's too severe these days ... and the
Sailors' Aid Society is always on the job ... it isn't like it used to
be."

* * * * *

But in spite of what the sailmaker had told me, the captain decided to
take his chance, rather than delay the time of putting forth to sea.
Around ten o'clock, in the full of the moon, a night-hawk cab drew up
alongside the ship where she lay docked, and out of it jumped the first
mate and the captain with a lad who was so drunk or drugged, or both,
that his legs went down under him when they tried to set him on his
feet.

They tumbled him aboard, where he lay in an insensate heap, drooling
spit and making incoherent, bubbling noises.

Without lifting an eyebrow in surprise, the sailmaker stepped forward
and joined the mate in jerking the man to his feet. The captain went aft
as if it was all in the day's work.

The mate and the sai