speculation as to the cause of this morbid determination
to abstain from food and from having communication with anyone.
Naturally, drinking was freely attributed to him, but this was stoutly
denied by every one of the crew. His mate and steward were of opinion
that he was fretting badly about having to leave the old brig; and this
had led him to think more than he would have otherwise done of the loss
of his boys and the stranding of his vessel. Each day saw a change for
the worse, until the mate became alarmed by evidences of total
collapse. He determined to see the master of a steamer who was in port
and knew Bourne well enough to do what would have been resented as a
great liberty in another man. This captain insisted that he would not
stand the humbug of asking to be allowed to see Bourne, so he boldly
went aboard, knocked at the stateroom door, and demanded admittance. On
this being refused, he proceeded to force the entrance, and presented
himself before the amazed inmate with quite a string of strong
adjectives for the bad behaviour in not reciprocating his
neighbourliness.

"What are you lying there fretting your soul out for?" said the burly
commander; "get up and come ashore with me and pull yourself together.
You owe a duty to your owner, your wife, and yourself. You're not going
to mend matters by moping and refusing to take natural exercise and
food!"

"Ah," said Captain Bourne, "I will never set my foot ashore again. I am
very near the end, and I will be glad when it comes. Tell the owner as
soon as I am gone that I have never been myself since I acted so bad in
leaving my bonny little ship that did so much for me." And putting his
hand to his breast, he added: "I have felt queer and sore here ever
since. I hope God will forgive me, but I was sure my sin would find me
out; and here I am, a poor shrivelled-up man, anxious to get away from
earth and to be with my drowned boys. The parson told me I would meet
them in a better world to this, and so I want to get to it as quick as
I can, for all the pleasure was taken out of my life when I consented
to come here. I haven't been very bad, and always was as good as I
could to God. Sometimes I've sworn when anything went wrong, but I
never meant any harm in it. Besides, they say that sailors' swearing is
not like other people's."

His friend urged him in a rollicking manner to take a more cheerful
view of his position.

"There are many," said he, "who would