“Ah, gentlemen,” he said, “you follow de sea, eh?”
“No,” sais I, “the sea often follows us, especially when the wind is fair.”
“True, true,” he said; “I forget dat. It followed me one time. Oh, I was wunst lost at sea; and it’s an awful feelin’. I was out of sight of land one whole day, all night, and eetle piece of next day. Oh, I was proper frightened. It was all sea and sky, and big wave, and no land, and none of us knew our way back.” And he opened his eyes as if the very recollection of his danger alarmed him. “At last big ship came by, and hailed her, and ask:
“‘My name is Jerry Boudrot; where am I?’
“‘Aboard of your own vessel,’ said they; and they laughed like anything, and left us.
“Well, towards night we were overtaken by Yankee vessel, and I say, ‘My name is Jerry Boudrot; where am I?’
“‘Thar,’ said the sarcy Yankee captain, ‘and if you get this far, you will be here;’ and they laughed at me, and I swore at them, and called ’em all manner of names.
“Well, then I was proper frightened, and I gave myself up for lost, and I was so sorry I hadn’t put my deed of my land on recor, and that I never got pay for half a cord of wood I sold a woman, who nevare return agin, last time I was to Halifax; and Esadore Terrio owe me two shillings and sixpence, and I got no note of hand for it, and I lend my ox-cart for one day to Martell Baban, and he will keep it for a week, and wear it out, and my wife marry again as sure as de world. Oh, I was very scare and propare sorry, you may depend, when presently great big English ship come by, and I hail her.
“‘My name is Jerry Boudrot,’ sais I, ‘when did you see land last?’
“‘Thirty days ago,’ said the captain.