his evasion would not serve his turn. Old Tisiphone was at hand, and
led him up growling into the hall of audience, which he did not examine
without trepidation. Having been directed to the coffin, where he
presented half a crown, in hope of rendering the fates more propitious,
the usual ceremony was performed, and the doctor addressed him in these
words: "Approach, Raven." The captain advancing, "You an't much
mistaken, brother," said he, "heave your eye into the binnacle, and box
your compass, you'll find I'm a Crowe, not a Raven, thof indeed they be
both fowls of a feather, as the saying is."--"I know it," cried the
conjurer, "thou art a northern crow,--a sea-crow; not a crow of prey, but
a crow to be preyed upon;--a crow to be plucked,--to be flayed,--to be
basted,--to be broiled by Margery upon the gridiron of matrimony." The
novice changing colour at this denunciation, "I do understand your
signals, brother," said he, "and if it be set down in the log-book of
fate that we must grapple, why then 'ware timbers. But as I know how the
land lies, d'ye see, and the current of my inclination sets me off, I
shall haul up close to the wind, and mayhap we shall clear Cape Margery.
But howsomever, we shall leave that reef in the fore top-sail.--I was
bound upon another voyage, d'ye see--to look and to see, and to know if
so be as how I could pick up any intelligence along shore concerning my
friend Sir Launcelot, who slipped his cable last night, and has lost
company, d'ye see."

"What!" exclaimed the cunning man; "art thou a crow, and canst not smell
carrion? If thou wouldst grieve for Greaves, behold his naked carcase
lies unburied, to feed the kites, the crows, the gulls, the rooks, and
ravens."--"What! broach'd to?" "Dead as a boil'd lobster."--"Odd's
heart, friend, these are the heaviest tidings I have heard these seven
long years--there must have been deadly odds when he lowered his
top-sails--smite my eyes! I had rather the Mufti had foundered at sea,
with myself and all my generation on board--well fare thy soul, flower of
the world! had honest Sam Crowe been within hail--but what signifies
palavering?" Here the tears of unaffected sorrow flowed plentifully down
the furrows of the seaman's cheeks;--then his grief giving way to his
indignation, "Hark ye, brother conjurer," said he, "you can spy foul
weather before it comes, d--n your eyes! why did not you give us warning
of this here squall? B--st my limbs!