e who had stayed with him became curious to know
what the "preachin' skipper" was saying, and drew near to the
fore-hatch, up which the tones of his strong voice travelled. Gradually
they bent their heads down and lay at full-length on the deck listening
intently to every word. They noted, also, the frequent ejaculations of
assent, and the aspirations of hope that escaped from the audience.

Not one, but two or three hymns were sung after the discourse was over,
and one after another of the fishermen prayed. They were very loath to
break up, but, a breeze having arisen, it became necessary that they
should depart, so they came on deck at last, and an animated scene of
receiving and exchanging books, magazines, tracts, and pamphlets ensued.
Then, also, Gunter got some salve for his shins, Ned Spivin had his cut
hand dressed and plastered. Cuffs were supplied to those whose wrists
had been damaged, and gratuitous advice was given generally to all to
give up drink.

"An' don't let the moderate drinkers deceive you lads," said the
skipper, "as they're apt to do--an' no wonder, for they deceive
themselves. Moderate drinkin' may be good, for all I know, for old folk
an' sick folk, but it's _not_ good for young and healthy men. They
don't need stimulants, an' if they take what they don't need they're
sure to suffer for it. There's a terrible _line_ in drinkin', an' if
you once cross that line, your case is all but hopeless. I once knew a
man who crossed it, and when that man began to drink he used to say that
he did it in `moderation,' an' he went on in `moderation,' an' the evil
was so slow in workin' that he never yet knew when he crossed the line,
an' he died at last of what he called moderate drinkin'. They all begin
in moderation, but some of 'em go on to the ruin of body, soul, an'
spirit, rather than give up their moderation! Come now, lads, I want
one or two o' you young fellows to sign the temperance pledge. It can't
cost you much to do it just now, but if you grow up drinkers you may
reach a point--I don't know where that point lies--to come back from
which will cost you something like the tearing of your souls out o' your
bodies. You'll come, won't you?"

"Yes, I'll go," said a bright young fisherman with a frame like Hercules
and a face almost as soft as that of a girl.

"That's right! Come down."

"And I've brought two o' my boys," said a burly man with a cast-iron
sort of face, who had been hims