“In the evening he seemed to be a little better, and I hoped he would be well in a day or two. He talked a little with me, and told me where his pains were. He spoke of his mother and his home, and seemed to feel very sad to be so far away from them.
“I sat by his side till eight bells—that is, till twelve o’clock. He slept much of the time, and as I bent over him and listened to his quiet breathing, I thought he was better, and that he would be able to go on deck the next day.
“You don’t know much about the life of a whaler, I suppose; so you can’t tell how tired and worn out he gets sometimes. The boats are often out all night, and the men have to row, when they are so sleepy and tired that they can hardly hold their heads up.
“Well, I had been out in the boat all the night before, and I was just as tired as a man could be. I could hardly keep my eyes open, as I sat at the side of the poor sick boy; but I did not once lose myself while I was on this duty.
“At twelve o’clock, finding that George slept easily, I called one of my shipmates to take my place. He was very willing to do so; but before I left him, I charged him, over and over again, to keep awake and mind the boy. He promised me he would, and I went to my bunk.
“I was so tired that I slept like a rock till eight bells, which was four o’clock in the morning. My first thought was of poor George, and jumping out of my berth, I hastened to his side. My shipmate whom I had left to watch him was fast asleep.
“I felt so very angry with him, that only my desire to learn how the sick boy was, prevented me from kicking him out of the forecastle. I looked into the bunk, and all was still as when I had left, and I thought he was asleep.
“All was still and calm in the berth—so still and calm that I trembled with fear. I listened to hear his breathing, but no sound reached my ear. I then placed my hand upon his brow. It was as cold as marble.
“Poor George was dead!
“O children, I can’t tell you how I felt then. It seemed just as though our angel had been taken out of the ship. I wept as I should have wept if he had been my son or my brother.