om, and you must leave your letter there
if you want it to go to Liverpool in this ship."

"Never mind," exclaimed the stranger, "I am acquainted with one of the
crew, and I will hand it to him."

Regardless of Stetson's threats of vengeance provided he gave the letter
into the hands of any one on board, the man stepped forward to the
windlass, and handed the missive to one of the sailors.

At this contempt of his authority Stetson's indignation knew no bounds.
He roared, in a voice hoarse with passion, "Lay hold of that scoundrel,
Mr. Bachelder. Seize the villain by the throat. I'll teach im better
than to cut his shines in a ship while I have charge of the deck. I'll
seize him up to the mizzen shrouds, make a spread eagle of him, give him
a cool dozen, and see how he will like that."

The stranger, witnessing the mate's excitement, and hearing his violent
language, seemed suddenly conscious that he had been guilty of a
terrible crime, for which he was liable to be punished without trial
or jury. He made a spring over the gunwale, and eluded the grasp of Mr.
Bachelder, who followed him into the main chain-wales, and grabbed one
of his coat tails just as he was slipping into his boat!

He struggled hard to get away, and his companion raised an oar and
endeavored to strike the second mate with that ponderous club. The
garment by which the stranger was detained, fortunately for him, was not
made of such firm and solid materials as the doublet of Baillie Jarvie
when he accompanied the Southrons in their invasion of the Highland
fastnesses of Rob Roy. The texture, unable to bear the heavy strain,
gave way; the man slid from the chain-wale into the boat, which was
quickly shoved off, and the two terrified landsmen pulled away from the
inhospitable ship with almost superhuman vigor, leaving the coat-tail in
the hands of the second officer, who waved it as a trophy of victory!

Meanwhile Stetson was foaming at the mouth and raving like a madman. He
ordered the steward to bring up his pistols to shoot the rascals, and
when it seemed likely the offenders would escape, he called upon me, and
another boy, by name, and in language neither courteous nor refined told
us to haul the ship's yawl alongside and be lively about it. I instantly
entered the boat from the taffrail by means of the painter; and in half
a minute the boat was at the gangway, MANNED by a couple of BOYS, and
Stetson rushed down the accommodation ladder, with