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Page 74
"To no end in the world, sir. I keep leading him about because he has
no final destination."
"Mr. Officer-of-the-deck, what does this mean? Who is this strange man?
I don't know that I remember him. Who is he? And what is signified by
his being led about?"
Hereupon the officer-of-the-deck, throwing himself into a tragical
posture, set forth the entire mystery; much to the captain's
astonishment, who at once indignantly turned upon the phantom.
"You rascal--don't try to deceive me. Who are you? and where did you
come from last?"
"Sir, my name is Peter Perkins, and I last came from the forecastle,
where the master-at-arms last led me, before coming here."
"No joking, sir, no joking."
"Sir, I'm sure it's too serious a business to joke about."
"Do you have the assurance to say, that you, as a regularly shipped man,
have been on board this vessel ever since she sailed from Falmouth, ten
months ago?"
"Sir, anxious to secure a berth under so good a commander, I was among
the first to enlist."
"What ports have we touched at, sir?" said the captain, now in a little
softer tone.
"Ports, sir, ports?"
"Yes, sir, _ports_"
Israel began to scratch his yellow hair.
"What _ports_, sir?"
"Well, sir:--Boston, for one."
"Right there," whispered a midshipman.
"What was the next port, sir?"
"Why, sir, I was saying Boston was the _first_ port, I believe; wasn't
it?--and"--
"The _second_ port, sir, is what I want."
"Well--New York."
"Right again," whispered the midshipman.
"And what port are we bound to, now?"
"Let me see--homeward-bound--Falmouth, sir."
"What sort of a place is Boston?"
"Pretty considerable of a place, sir."
"Very straight streets, ain't they?"
"Yes, sir; cow-paths, cut by sheep-walks, and intersected with
hen-tracks."
"When did we fire the first gun?"
"Well, sir, just as we were leaving Falmouth, ten months
ago--signal-gun, sir."
"Where did we fire the first _shotted_ gun, sir?--and what was the name
of the privateer we took upon that occasion?"
"'Pears to me, sir, at that time I was on the sick list. Yes, sir, that
must have been the time; I had the brain fever, and lost my mind for a
while."
"Master-at-arms, take this man away."
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