I was never here afore in my life." "What!" I cried, enjoying his perplexity.

"Have you forgotten the voyage from New Orleans in the Typhoon, two years ago, you lovely old picture-book ?" Ah! then he knew me, and in token of the recollection gave my hand such a squeeze that I am sure an unpleasant change came over my countenance.
"Bless my eyes, but you have growed so.

I shouldn't have knowed you if I had met you in Singapore!" Without stopping to inquire, as I was tempted to do, why he was more likely to recognize me in Singapore than anywhere else, I invited him to come at once up to the Nutter House, where I insured him a warm welcome from the Captain.
"Hold steady, Master Tom," said Sailor Ben, slipping the painter through the ringbolt and tying the loveliest knot you ever saw; "hold steady till I see if the mate can let me off.

If you please, sir," he continued, addressing the steersman, a very red-faced, bow-legged person, "this here is a little shipmate o' mine as wants to talk over back times along of me, if so it's convenient." "All right, Ben," returned the mate; "sha'n't want you for an hour." Leaving one man in charge of the boat, the mate and the rest of the crew went off together.

In the meanwhile Pepper Whitcomb had got out his cunner-line, and was quietly fishing at the end of the wharf, as if to give me the idea that he wasn't so very much impressed by my intimacy with so renowned a character as Sailor Ben.