tactfully and
ungrudgingly given.

Captain Macvie had a long clean record of success. His popularity among
his contemporaries was a growing process. No signs of rivalry were
seen. He was looked up to as an authority, not only on nautical
matters, but social, political and religious questions were well within
his grasp. On one memorable occasion, when he was at home, a church
meeting was called to consider the minister's relation in regard to his
people. It was thought that he was not sound on sanctification, and one
or two little matters that did not exactly bear on sanctification--a
love affair, in fact. The gallant captain took the side of his
minister, and put such a convincing case before his audience that a
large majority declared the accusation not proven. There was wild
excitement at this meeting; the hostile faction were rancorous about
the captain being put up, as they assumed he could not possibly know
all the facts; but both sides were one in admitting that his fame as a
debater and an orator was established. So general was this belief that
many of his adversaries congratulated him on having delivered a most
eloquent speech.

The desire to sail with this distinguished man seized me like a vice. I
determined as soon as I was free (for I was at that time an apprentice)
nothing would prevent me from asking him to allow me to serve as an
able seaman in the vessel which now entirely belonged to him. In a few
days after making the memorable speech at his church, the _Boadicea_
was sailing down Channel on her way to the Black Sea. Mrs Macvie was
aboard. She nearly always accompanied her husband, and was a good
English woman, to whom the captain owed much for her thrifty habits and
sound judgement. All the officers and most of the crew had sailed
continuously with him since he took command. Curly, who had served
aboard a pirate schooner, became quite an institution. He was very
popular, and so were his pirate stories when he could be persuaded to
tell them. He had served Macvie as A. B., boatswain, and was now
steward. They had been to Taganrog and loaded a cargo of tallow for
London. A gentle levanter was wafting them through the Archipelago.
When they got abreast of the north end of Zea Island they observed a
brigantine coming romping up to them under a cloud of sail. In light
winds the _Boadicea_ did not sail fast. The breakfast bell had been
rung, and as the captain was passing into the companion, Curly, who wa