the world than
that poor fellow. So he threw up his house, his position, riches,
everything, and away he went to the port of Liverpool, where he signed
on as A. B., aboard a Black Ball packet, a tea clipper, bound to the
China seas.

They made a fine passage out, and when our friend had only three days
more, they were in the Indian Ocean lying lazy, becalmed.

Now it was his wheel that forenoon, and it being dead calm, all he
had to do was just to think of things; the ship of course having no
way on her.

So he stood there, hanging on to the spokes, groaning and weeping
till, just twenty minutes or so before eight bells were made, up came
the Captain for a turn on deck.

He went aft, of course, took a squint aloft, and saw our friend crying
at the wheel. "Hello, my man," he says, "why, what's all this? Ain't
you well? You'd best lay aft for a dose o'salts at four bells
tonight."

"No, Cap'n," said the man, "there's no salts'll ever cure my
sickness."

"Why, what's all this?" says the old man. "You must be sick if it's as
bad as all that. But come now; your cheek is all sunk, and you look as
if you ain't slept well. What is it ails you, anyway? Have you
anything on your mind?"

"Captain," he answers very solemn, "I have sold my soul to the devil."

"Oh," said the old man, "why, that's bad. That's powerful bad. I never
thought them sort of things ever happened outside a book."

"But," said our friend, "that's not the worst of it, Captain. At this
time three days hence the devil will fetch me home."

"Good Lord!" groaned the old man. "Here's a nice hurrah's nest to
happen aboard my ship. But come now," he went on, "did the devil give
you no chance--no saving-clause like? Just think quietly for a
moment."

"Yes, Captain," said our friend, "just when I made the deal, there
came a whisper in my ear. And," he said, speaking very quietly, so as
not to let the mate hear, "if I can give the devil three jobs to do
which he cannot do, why, then, Captain," he says, "I'm saved, and that
deed of mine is cancelled."

Well, at this the old man grinned and said, "You just leave things to
me, my son. _I'll_ fix the devil for you. Aft there, one o' you, and
relieve the wheel. Now you run forrard, and have a good watch below,
and be quite easy in your mind, for I'll deal with the devil for you.
You rest and be easy."

And so that day goes by, and the next, and the one after that, and the
one after that was the day the Dev