dinary man. He had spent a long life as master of a vessel on
which he had placed his affections, so that the more urgent the owner
became for him to take advantage of the offer of much higher wages and
greater dignity, the more tenaciously he clung to the belief that some
serious judgement would befall him if he were ungrateful and disloyal
enough to forsake the brig that had carried him for more than a quarter
of a century across many a wrathful sea. "No," said he, "I must end my
days in the canny ship. Her and me have had a lot to do with each
other, and I would never forgive myself if I were to agree to this
request, and some useless fellow were to put her ashore on a bank or on
the rocks, and she became a total wreck. Besides, if anything were to
happen I could not rest in my grave."

"Well," said the owner, "I appreciate your high motives, and also the
strong regard you have shown for a vessel that has made me so much
money; and I must not forget to say that but for your skill and care in
conducting the business, and also in the navigation, the results would
have been very different. It is because of these and other sterling
qualities that you possess that I ask you to consider favourably the
offer I have made. You know how badly the _Grasshopper_ has done, and I
feel that you are the only man that can pull her out of the bad mess
she is in. Sleep over it."

Bourne slept over it, and informed the owner the next day that the ship
was far too big for him, but as the change was urged he must leave the
final decision to the owner, always bearing in mind that he wished to
remain where he was. The owner availed himself of the old mariner's
flexible state of mind by promptly taking him at his word. And he
forthwith became the object of notoriety. There had been not a few
aspirants to this enviable position, and much speculation as to whether
Bourne would ultimately be persuaded to take it or not. Of course it
was vigorously hoped he would not, and when the announcement in the
affirmative was made there were sundry disappointments. The predictions
were of a gloomy character. Forebodings that the new commander would
never be able to handle so large a ship became the prevalent idea, for
he had never been in a vessel carrying more than about 250 tons. It was
an open secret that Captain Bourne had misgivings of a similar kind
himself. He feared, indeed, that she might run away with him. He
apprehended that his capacity to ha