going like a
racehorse. Columbus himself could not have held her more exactly on
her course. The sloop had made ninety miles in the night through a
rough sea. I felt grateful to the old pilot, but I marveled some that
he had not taken in the jib. The gale was moderating, and by noon the
sun was shining. A meridian altitude and the distance on the patent
log, which I always kept towing, told me that she had made a true
course throughout the twenty-four hours. I was getting much better
now, but was very weak, and did not turn out reefs that day or the
night following, although the wind fell light; but I just put my wet
clothes out in the sun when it was shining, and lying down there
myself, fell asleep. Then who should visit me again but my old friend
of the night before, this time, of course, in a dream. "You did well
last night to take my advice," said he, "and if you would, I should
like to be with you often on the voyage, for the love of adventure
alone." Finishing what he had to say, he again doffed his cap and
disappeared as mysteriously as he came, returning, I suppose, to the
phantom _Pinta_. I awoke much refreshed, and with the feeling that I
had been in the presence of a friend and a seaman of vast experience.
I gathered up my clothes, which by this time were dry, then, by
inspiration, I threw overboard all the plums in the vessel.

July 28 was exceptionally fine. The wind from the northwest was light
and the air balmy. I overhauled my wardrobe, and bent on a white shirt
against nearing some coasting-packet with genteel folk on board. I
also did some washing to get the salt out of my clothes. After it all
I was hungry, so I made a fire and very cautiously stewed a dish of
pears and set them carefully aside till I had made a pot of delicious
coffee, for both of which I could afford sugar and cream. But the
crowning dish of all was a fish-hash, and there was enough of it for
two. I was in good health again, and my appetite was simply ravenous.
While I was dining I had a large onion over the double lamp stewing
for a luncheon later in the day. High living to-day!

In the afternoon the _Spray_ came upon a large turtle asleep on the
sea. He awoke with my harpoon through his neck, if he awoke at all. I
had much difficulty in landing him on deck, which I finally
accomplished by hooking the throat-halyards to one of his flippers,
for he was about as heavy as my boat. I saw more turtles, and I rigged
a burton ready wit