ame of God
and humanity come aboard, sir." Here I had to wait till he reappeared.
"My story is an extraordinary one. You have nothing to fear. I am a
plain English sailor; my ship was the _Laughing Mary_, bound in ballast
from Callao to the Cape." Here I had to wait again. "Pray, sir, come
aboard. There is nothing to fear. I am alone--in grievous distress, and
in want of help. Pray come, sir!"

There was so little of the goblin in this appeal that it resolved him.
The crew hung in the wind, but he addressed them peremptorily. I heard
him damn them for a set of curs, and tell them that if they put him
aboard they might lie off till he was ready to return, where they would
be safe, as the devil could not swim; and presently they buckled to
their oars again and the boat came alongside. The long man, watching his
chance, sprang with great agility into the chains, and stepped on deck.
I ran up to him and seized his hand with both mine.

"Sir," cried I, speaking with difficulty, so great was the tumult of my
spirits and the joy and gratitude that swelled my heart, "I thank you a
thousand times over for this visit. I am in the most helpless condition
that can be imagined. I am not astonished that you should have been
startled by the appearance of this vessel and by the figure I make in
these clothes, but, sir, you will be much more amazed when you have
heard my story."

He eyed me steadfastly, examining me very earnestly from my boots to my
cap, and then cast a glance around him before he made any reply to my
address. He had the gauntness, sallowness of complexion, and
deliberateness of manner peculiar to the people of New England. And
though he was a very ugly, lank, uncouth man, I protest he was as fair
in my sight as if he had been the ambrosial angel described by Milton.

"Well, cook my gizzard," he exclaimed presently, through his nose, and
after another good look at me and along the decks and up aloft, "if this
ain't mi-raculous, tew. Durned if we didn't take this hooker for some
ghost ship riz from the sea, in charge of a merman rigged out to fit her
age. Y' are all alone, air you?"

"All alone," said I.

"Broach me every barrel aboard if ever I see sich a vessel," he cried,
his astonishment rising with the searching glances he directed aloft and
alow. "How old be she?"

"She was cast away in seventeen hundred and fifty-three," said I.

"Well, I'm durned. She's froze hard, sirree; I reckon she'll want a hot
su