'
"'Well, my lad, I daresay the skipper will do that, but as we're
bound for the coast of Chili from Hamburg, and ain't likely to be
there for about five months, you've got, as I said, a long voyage
before you. If the weather had been fine the skipper might have
spoken some ship in the Channel, and put you on board, but before
the gale's blown out we shall be hundreds of miles at sea. Even
if it had been fine I don't suppose the skipper would have parted
with you, especially if you told him the watch was asleep. He would
not care next time he entered an English port to have a claim fixed
on his ship for the vally of the smack.'
"I saw what the sailor said was like enough, and blamed myself for
having let out about the watch. However, there was no help for it,
and I turned into an empty bunk and cried myself to sleep. What a
voyage that was, to be sure! The ship was a Yankee and so was the
master and mates. The crew were of all sorts, Dutch, and Swedes,
and English, a Yank or two, and a sprinklin' of niggers. It was one
of those ships they call a hell on earth, and cussing and kicking
and driving went on all day. I hadn't no regular place give me, but
helped the black cook, and pulled at ropes, and swabbed the decks,
and got kicked and cuffed all round.
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