r soul! the first time we shoved off from a town I walked up to
the bar just as I always did after leaving towns; the barkeeper set out
my particular bottle naturally enough, knowing nothing about my little
game; I poured my couple of fingers, and dropped it down as innocent as
a lamb before I knew what I was doing. By George! my boy, 'twas
like-opening the lock-gates; I was just heavenly gay before morning.
There was one good thing about it, though--I never told Emily I was
going to swear off; I was going to surprise her, so I had the
disappointment all to myself. Maybe she isn't as happy as your wife; but
whatever else I've done, or not done, I've never lied to her."

"It's a pity you hadn't promised _her_ then, before you tried your
experiment," said Fred. The captain shook his head gravely, and replied:

"I guess not; why, I'd have either killed somebody or killed myself if
I'd gone on a day or two longer. I s'pose I'd have got along better if
I'd had anybody to keep me company, or reason with me like a
schoolmaster; but I hadn't. I didn't know anybody that I dared trust
with a secret like that."

"_I_ hadn't reformed then, eh?" queried Fred.

"You? why you're one of the very fellows I dodged! Just as I got aboard
the boat--I came down late, on purpose--I saw you out aft. I tell you, I
was under my blankets, with a towel wrapped around my jaw, in about one
minute, and was just _a-praying_ that you hadn't seen me come aboard."

Fred laughed, but his laughter soon made place for a look of tender
solicitude. The unexpected turn that had been reached in the
conversation he had so dreaded, and the sympathy which had been awakened
in him by Crayme's confidence and openness, temporarily made of Fred
Macdonald a man with whom Fred himself had never before been acquainted.
A sudden idea struck him.

"Sam," said he, "try it over again, and _I'll_ stay by you. I'll nurse
you, crack jokes, fight off the blues for you, keep your friends away.
I'll even break your neck for you, if you like, seeing it's you, if
it'll keep you straight."

"Will you, though?" said the captain, with a look of admiration,
undisguised except by wonder. "You're the first friend I ever had, then.
By thunder! how marrying Ettie Wedgewell _did_ improve you, Fred! But,"
and the captain's face lengthened again, "there's a fellow's reputation
to be considered, and where'll mine be after it gets around that I've
sworn off?"

"Reputation be hanged!" ex