aking of
venison as well as ourselves; but there were not those sounds of
joviality incidental to festive occasions, and the silence in the
forecastle attracted our notice. "Talk of the Devil," my ancient
countrywomen say, "and you will be sure to see him;" but though we had
not spoken of his majesty, we certainly alluded to the crew; and
whether D----, their representative, bears any affinity to that mighty
potentate, I have never heard; yet certain it is, the said D----, with a
countenance of ill omen, came into the cabin, and regretting that he
should disturb us at such a time, observed,

"I am afraid, my Lord, King is very bad. He eats nothing, and complains
a good deal."

"Of what does he complain?" asked R----.

"Of a dull pain in his stomach, my Lord," replied D----, "and a
continual desire to retch."

"Oh! it's only a little attack of bile," observed R----; "I will soon
put him to rights."

Rising from his chair, he went to seek his small medicine-chest with
which returning, he placed it on the dinner-table. A few grains of
calomel were weighed; and due directions being given when the physic
should be taken, R---- prepared a black dose for the morrow, and
committed that also to the custody of D----.

"I tell you what it is," said R----, after he had resumed his seat,
"those cherries were too sour, and King, in making love to that girl,
eat nearly the basket-ful; but if men will be fools, they must stand the
brunt of their folly."

"Very true, my Lord," assented D----; "but I think King more ill than
he looks, or says that he is; for he is fond of a drop, my Lord, like
most of us, and that predilection tells when it comes."

"With this still weather," observed R----, "I suppose we cannot hope to
reach Bergen for the next week."

"There is a slight tide, my Lord, the pilot says sets out the Fiord,"
D---- made reply; "and if so, the cutter would hardly take so long to
drift the distance."

"It is nearly one hundred miles?" said R----, interrogatively.

"Nearly, my Lord," answered D----; "but I think the wind is edging round
to the west. Let us see, my Lord;" and D---- turned round, and began to
examine the barometer hanging up behind him, as well as a symparometer.

"It is very odd, my Lord," he continued, after a pause, "but the
barometer is very low, and this symparometer as high as it can well be."

We rose to look at the glasses, and found them as D---- had stated; but
it was not the first time