used to say that
the devil always found something for idle hands; and the way he went
about remedying this reminded me of the old poetry lines I once heard a
Yankee sailor call the `Philadelphia Catechism'--

"`Six days shalt thou labour and do all thou art able,
And on the seventh,--holystone the decks and scrape the cable!'

"These words of mine had such an effect on the men that I assure you,
sir, they grew quite cheerful like, chatting and laughing together as
they lolled about on the thwarts under the boat awnings that were spread
fore and aft I allowed them to take it easy, with the exception of the
hands having charge of the sheets of the sails and those on the look-
out, as I don't think discipline is preserved any the better by keeping
fellows continually on the stretch when there's nothing particular to
do, merely to see them slaving their hearts out.

"Presently, the look-out forward said he thought he saw the white sail
of a dhow close in to the island we were beating to windward of; and of
course every one immediately must take it for granted that she's a
contraband carrying slaves."

"I suppose you didn't undeceive them?" said I.

"Not I," replied Ben. "I was only too glad of the chance. It banished
at once all thoughts of the old _Dolphin_ out of their heads better than
all my palaver, for all hands were so anxious to come up with the
strange craft that they themselves voted for taking to the oars, which I
certainly wouldn't have ordered their doing in the terrible afternoon
heat, as, while we were having our dinner, the wind had been gradually
dying until it was now almost a dead calm, and the sails flapping
against the masts, with the boat rocking on the heavy rolling swell that
you always meet with out there when the sun is at the meridian."

"I thought you expected a tornado in the early morning?" I here
suggested.

"Ah! never you mind about that," said Ben. "We haven't yet done with
the east-coast weather, as you'll see presently. Howsomever, as I was
saying," he continued, "I told them to take in the sails, being so
minded, and rig out the oars. They didn't lose any time about it
either, for as soon as I gave the order it was all haul down and furl
up; and, getting a good grip of the water, they started pulling like
madmen, putting their hearts into every stroke--although the day was so
hot and sweltry that a fellow seemed to melt away into perspiration,
even lying still in the st