'You forget, captain,' said the young man. 'There is another way. I can

die; and to say truth, I think I should have died three years ago.'

The captain folded his arms and looked the other in the face. 'Yes,'

said he, 'yes, you can cut your throat; that's a frozen fact; much good

may it do you! And where do I come in?'

The light of a strange excitement came in Herrick's face. 'Both of us,'

said he, 'both of us together. It's not possible you can enjoy this

business. Come,' and he reached out a timid hand, 'a few strokes in the

lagoon--and rest!'

'I tell you, Herrick, I'm 'most tempted to answer you the way the man

does in the Bible, and say, "Get thee behind me, Satan!"' said the

captain. 'What! you think I would go drown myself, and I got children

starving? Enjoy it? No, by God, I do not enjoy it! but it's the row

I've got to hoe, and I'll hoe it till I drop right here. I have three of

them, you see, two boys and the one girl, Adar. The trouble is that you

are not a parent yourself. I tell you, Herrick, I love you,' the man

broke out; 'I didn't take to you at first, you were so anglified and

tony, but I love you now; it's a man that loves you stands here and

wrestles with you. I can't go to sea with the bummer alone; it's not

possible. Go drown yourself, and there goes my last chance--the last

chance of a poor miserable beast, earning a crust to feed his family.

I can't do nothing but sail ships, and I've no papers. And here I get

a chance, and you go back on me! Ah, you've no family, and that's where

the trouble is!'

The Ebb-Tide