d cast adrift as useless.

Willy's teeth chattered, and his whole frame trembled with the cold, as
he went aft to the captain of the sloop, who was sitting on deck wrapped
up in a rough white great-coat, with his pipe in his mouth. The captain
was a middle-sized, slightly-made young man, apparently not more than
twenty-five years old. His face was oval, with a remarkably pleasing
expression; his eye small and brilliant; and, notwithstanding the
roughness of his outward attire, there was a degree of precision in the
arrangement of his hair and whiskers, which proved that with him
neatness was habitual. He had a worsted mitten on his left hand; the
right, which held his pipe, was bare, and remarkably white and small.
Perceiving the situation of the boy, he called to one of the men--"Here,
Phillips, take this poor devil down, and put something dry on him, and
give him a glass of brandy; when he's all right again, we'll find out
from him how he happened to be adrift all by himself, like a bear in a
washing-tub. There, go along with Phillips, boy."

"He's of the right sort," said one of the men who had brought him on
board, casting his eyes in the direction of our hero, who was descending
the companion: "I thought so when I see'd him have his wits about him to
hoist the signal. He made no more of jumping overboard than a
Newfoundland dog--never stopped two seconds to think on't."

"We shall soon see what he is made of;" replied the captain, relighting
his pipe, which had been allowed to go out during the time that they
were rescuing Willy and the men from the boat when she returned.

Willy was soon provided with more comfortable clothing; and whether it
was or was not from a whim of Phillips's, who had been commissioned to
rig him out, he appeared on deck the very picture of the animal which he
had been compared to by the sailor. Thick woollen stockings, which were
longer than both his legs and thighs, a pair of fisherman's well-greased
boots, a dark Guernsey frock that reached below his knees, and a rough
pea-jacket that descended to his heels, made him appear much broader
than he was high. A red woollen nightcap completed his attire, which,
although anything but elegant, was admirably calculated to assist the
brandy in restoring the circulation.

"Here he is, captain, _all a-tanto_, but not very neat," said Phillips,
shoving Willy up the hatchway, for he was so encumbered with the weight
of his new apparel that