cdotes, histories, and
romances related by these three were listened to with such intense
interest and delight by the whole crew, that one would have thought they
were enjoying a pleasure trip, and had no cause whatever for anxiety.
Gurney, too, and Briant, and Nikel Sling came out frequently in the
story-telling line, and were the means of causing many and many an hour
to pass quickly and pleasantly by, which would otherwise have hung
heavily on the hands of all.

Ailie Dunning was an engrossed and delighted listener at all times. She
drank in every species of story with an avidity that was quite amusing.
It seemed also to have been infectious, for even Jacko used to sit hour
after hour looking steadily at each successive speaker, with a
countenance so full of bright intelligence, and grave surpassing wisdom,
as to lead one to the belief that he not only understood all that was
said, but turned it over in his mind, and drew from it ideas and
conclusions far more bright and philosophical than could have been drawn
therefrom by any human being, however wise or ingenious.

He grinned, too, did Jacko, with an intensity and frequency that induced
the sailors at first to call him a clever dog, in the belief that his
perception of the ludicrous was very strong indeed; but as his grins
were observed to occur quite as frequently at the pathetic and the grave
as at the comical parts of the stories, they changed their minds, and
said he was a "codger"--in which remark they were undoubtedly safe,
seeing that it committed them to nothing very specific.

Captain Dunning's stories were, more properly speaking, histories, and
were very much relished, for he possessed a natural power of relating
what he knew in an interesting manner and with a peculiarly pleasant
tone of voice. Every one who has considered the subject at all must
have observed what a powerful influence there lies in the mere manner
and tone of a speaker. The captain's voice was so rich, so mellow, and
capable of such varied modulation, that the men listened with pleasure
to the words which rolled from his lips, as one would listen to a sweet
song. He became so deeply interested, too, in the subject about which
he happened to be speaking, that his auditors could not help becoming
interested also. He had no powers of eloquence, neither was he gifted
with an unusually bright fancy. But he was fluent in speech, and his
words, though not chosen, were usually appropr