it agen, an' him go right down to de pit
ob my tumjon! Lor', Cholly, I'se tink I wer drown, fo' suah, an' nebbah
come up no moah, fo' de wave come ober my head an' ebberyting! Den,
jest as I'se scrape along de side ob de ship an' wash away aft in de
wake astern, I'se catch holt ob de end ob de boom-sheet, dat was tow
oberboard."

"Ye hev got thet durned lubber Jim Chowder to thank fur thet," said
Hiram, interrupting him to explain this fortunate circumstance, which I
now recollected Captain Snaggs alluding to when I was waiting at table
in the cabin the same evening, before the tragic occurrence happened.
"It's the fust time I ever recomembers ez how an unsailorlike act like
thet ever did good to airy a soul!"

"Nebbah yer min' dat, Mas' Hiram," rejoined Sam, with much heartiness.
"I'se allers tink afore dat Jim Chowder one pore cuss, but now I'se pray
fo' him ebbery day ob my life!"

"Ay, bo," said Tom, with affected gravity; "and for me to, eh?"

"I will, suah," answered Sam, in the same serious way in which he had
previously spoken, not wishing to joke about the matter. "But, Jim
Chowder or no Jim Chowder, who ebbah let dat rope tow oberboard was sabe
my life! I'se catch holt ob him an' climb on ter de rudder chain, where
I'se hang wid my head out ob de water till it was come dark, an' de
night grow ober de sea. Den, when I'se tink de cap'en drink nuff rum to
get drunk, an' not fo' see me come on board agen, I'se let my ole leg
wash up wid de wave to de sill ob de stern port; an' den, when I'se look
an see dere was nobody in de cabin, I'se smash de glass ob de window an'
climb inside."

"And then it was, I suppose," said I, taking up the burden of his story,
"that I took your real self, as you crept through the cabin, for your
ghost?"

"Dat troo, Cholly. Yer see me, dough, by de light ob de moon, fo' I'se
take care blow out de swing lamp in cabin, dat nobody might see nuffin.
I'se reel glad, dough, dat I'se able friten de cap'en an' make him tink
see um duppy!"

"Wa-all, I guess ye come out o' that smart enuff," said Hiram, with a
hearty thump of approval that doubled up poor Sam, more effectually than
his convulsions of laughter had previously done. "But, whaar did ye
manage ter stow yerself when ye comed out o' the cabin?"

"I'se creep along de deck, keepin' under de lee ob de moonlight; an' den
when nobody was lookin' I'se go forwards an' crawl down into the
forepeak. Den, it was dat Mass' Tom hy