e this
afternoon. We got the right stripe of a captain, but we have made him
adopt conditions to be true to the secession party. As soon as I get
another man, we'll despatch her in grand style, and no mistake."

The Captain thought of his second mate, and suggested him at once. "Just
the chap. My old man would like him, I know," said George, and they
returned directly to the Janson, where they found the second mate
lashing his dunnage. The proposition was made and readily accepted.
Again the Captain parted with little George, leaving him to take the
mate to his father's office, while he pursued his business at the
consul's.

George led the mate into the office. "Here, father, here's a man to
go in our vessel," said he. The old man looked upon him with a serene
importance, as if he was fettered with his own greatness.

"My shipping interests are becoming very extensive, my man; I own the
whole of four schooners, and a share in the greatest steamship afloat-I
mean screw-ship, the South Carolina--you've heard of her, I suppose?"
said the old man.

Jack stood up with his hat in his hand, thinking over what he meant by
big interests, and "reckoning he hadn't seen the establishment of them
ship-owners about Prince's Dock, what owned more ships apiece than there
were days in the month."

"Now, my man," continued the old man, "I'm mighty strict about my
discipline, for I want every man to do his duty for the interests of the
owners. But how many dollars do you want a month, my man?"

"Nothing less than four pounds starling; that's twenty dollars your
currency, if I reckon right," said Jack, giving his hat a twirl upon the
floor.

"Wh-e-w! you belong to the independent sailors. You'll come down from
that afore you get a ship in this port. Why, I can get a good, prime
nigger feller sailor for eight dollars a month and his feed."

Jack concluded not to sail in any of the old man's big ships, and said,
"Yes, I joined them a long time ago, and I ha'n't regretted it, neither;
wouldn't pull a bow-line a penny less. I don't like drogging, no-how.
Good morning, sir," said he, putting on his hat and backing out of the
door.

"I wish you'd a' taken a chance with my father, old fellow; he'd a' made
you captain afore a year," said George, as he was leaving the door.

"The like o' that don't signify. I've been skipper in the West Ingie
trade years ago. There isn't much difference between a nigger and
a schooner's captain," said