" The black, hearing his name
pronounced, grinned from ear to ear, though he said nothing.

Still the captain, who evidently could not make out who his visitor was,
and much mistrusted him, was about to refuse the request, when the old
gentleman took him by the button of his coat, as a man does a familiar
friend, and led him aside. What was said I do not know, nor could I
judge from his countenance how the captain took the communication made
to him--I saw him start, and examine the old man attentively from head
to foot. The result, I know, was that the boat and the chests were
hoisted on board--the sails were let fall and sheeted home. The
stranger went to the taffrail and waved his hat. On his doing this, the
felucca hauled her wind and stood to the northward.

Just under the companion-stair was a small cabin, which had been filled
with stores. This was cleared out, and our strange passenger took
possession of it with his chests, while Cudjoe slept at the door. He at
once made himself at home, and entered into conversation with every one.
No one seemed, however, inclined to quiz him. When he was on deck, I
heard the gentlemen in the cabin wondering who he was, for none of them
had the slightest notion about the matter; and if the captain knew, he
certainly would not tell them. The negro never spoke to any of the
passengers or crew. Some said he was dumb; but I knew that was not the
case, for I often heard him and the old gentleman talking, but in a
language I could not understand. His only care appeared to be to watch
over the old gentleman's chests, which had been placed in his cabin, and
to keep an eye on the little skiff which had brought them on board.

Those of the passengers who had lived in the West Indies could do
nothing for themselves, and were constantly wanting me to perform some
little job or other for them. I was thus oftener in the cabin than out
of it. While I was attending on them, my great amusement was listening
to the yarns which the old gentleman used to spin. They took in all he
said for fact; but there used to be often a twinkle in his eye which
made me doubt the truth of all he said.

"A man who can look back the larger part of a century, as I have done,
must have heard a number of strange things, and seen a number of strange
people and strange sights, unless he has gone through the world with his
eyes and ears closed, which I have not," he remarked one day when
several of the p