I am not ashamed to set it down that my pillow was wet with tears that night, as I lay thinking of the many days which must pass before I should see my home again, if indeed I ever did, and I dwelt much longer on my mother’s grief and my own loneliness, when we should be parted, than on the glory which might be mine in case I lived to be clasped in her loving arms again.
[CHAPTER II.]
UNDER WAY.
Although there was no possibility the America could leave port within ten days, under the most favourable circumstances, Simon Ropes and I presented ourselves on board next morning before the sun had risen, as if fearing the privateer might get under way while we were making ready.
Having counted on surprising Master Josh by announcing that we were to sign articles as members of the crew whenever the papers were made ready, we were disappointed.
I believe the old man had been firmly convinced that Simon’s father and my uncle would allow us to ship, once the desire was made known, for he treated our coming as a matter of course, and, to our great surprise, ceased from that moment to be the friendly friend we had ever known him.
Instead of asking if we would kindly do this or that, or explaining that it would be to our advantage if we learned to make such a splice or tie a particular knot, he drove us to work like slaves, and one would have fancied that we met him for the first time on that morning.
Having partaken of a scanty breakfast, owing to our eagerness to be on board the ship at an early hour, it was by no means pleasant to run here or there at the old gunner’s call, or, when one was doing his best, to be sharply reprimanded because he had not succeeded in accomplishing more.