I'll look after him a bit." "Upon this he grabs the Articles, says something about trying to run in for a minute to see that poor devil in the hospital, and off he goes with his heavy swinging step after telling me sternly: "Don't you go like that poor fellow and get yourself run over by a cart as if you hadn't either eyes or ears." "Mr.Powell," says I timidly (there was by then only the thin-necked man left in the office with us and he was already by the door, standing on one leg to turn the bottom of his trousers up before going away).

"Mr.
Powell," says I, "I believe the Captain of the _Ferndale_ was thinking all the time that I was a relation of yours." "I was rather concerned about the propriety of it, you know, but Mr.
Powell didn't seem to be in the least.
"Did he ?" says he.

"That's funny, because it seems to me too that I've been a sort of good uncle to several of you young fellows lately.

Don't you think so yourself?
However, if you don't like it you may put him right--when you get out to sea." At this I felt a bit queer.

Mr.Powell had rendered me a very good service:- because it's a fact that with us merchant sailors the first voyage as officer is the real start in life.
He had given me no less than that.