y the most dismantled old garments went off, through
the magical cleverness of the accomplished auctioneer, the thought
occurred to me, that if ever I calmly and positively decided to dispose
of my famous white jacket, this would be the very way to do it. I
turned the matter over in my mind a long time.

The weather in Rio was genial and warm, and that I would ever again
need such a thing as a heavy quilted jacket--and such a jacket as the
white one, too--seemed almost impossible. Yet I remembered the American
coast, and that it would probably be Autumn when we should arrive
there. Yes, I thought of all that, to be sure; nevertheless, the
ungovernable whim seized me to sacrifice my jacket and recklessly abide
the consequences. Besides, was it not a horrible jacket? To how many
annoyances had it subjected me? How many scrapes had it dragged me
into? Nay, had it not once jeopardised my very existence? And I had a
dreadful presentiment that, if I persisted in retaining it, it would do
so again. Enough! I will sell it, I muttered; and so muttering, I
thrust my hands further down in my waistband, and walked the main-top
in the stern concentration of an inflexible purpose. Next day, hearing
that another auction was shortly to take place, I repaired to the
office of the Purser's steward, with whom I was upon rather friendly
terms. After vaguely and delicately hinting at the object of my visit,
I came roundly to the point, and asked him whether he could slip my
jacket into one of the bags of clothes next to be sold, and so dispose
of it by public auction. He kindly acquiesced and the thing was done.

In due time all hands were again summoned round the main-mast; the
Purser's steward mounted his post, and the ceremony began. Meantime, I
lingered out of sight, but still within hearing, on the gun-deck below,
gazing up, un-perceived, at the scene.

As it is now so long ago, I will here frankly make confession that I
had privately retained the services of a friend--Williams, the Yankee
pedagogue and peddler--whose business it would be to linger near the
scene of the auction, and, if the bids on the jacket loitered, to start
it roundly himself; and if the bidding then became brisk, he was
continually to strike in with the most pertinacious and infatuated
bids, and so exasperate competition into the maddest and most
extravagant overtures.

A variety of other articles having been put up, the white jacket was
slowly produced, and,