Then the mate went with us to a shop not far away, where we were rigged out with sailors' suits, which he said would be charged against us on the ship's books. "Anything you want," said he, "on the voyage, you will get out of the slop-chest, and be charged with it in the same way."
The clothing we had taken off was made into bundles, and then we started with the mate back to the ship again. On our journey from the ship to the shop we followed him; but on the return he kept us in front, and so near that he could grasp either of our collars at the same time. He had been quite good-natured and pleasant spoken, but now that we had been shipped and were dressed as sailors, he was very gruff, and ordered, rather than requested us. When we got on board the ship he was all right again.
I didn't understand it then, but did afterward. You see that, the moment we got into those new clothes, we were in possession of ship's property, and if we had run away there would have been a loss of the value of the goods. It was the mate's duty to see that we didn't run away, and he carried it out fully.
When we got on board we were set at work clearing up things about the ship. Her deck was covered with lumber, and, though her hold was nearly full of cargo, packages, barrels, and boxes continued to arrive at frequent intervals. As fast as they came they were lowered into the hold, and before sunset the space below was crowded to its full capacity, and the hatches were put on. In our work we had nothing to do with the cargo, but were put in charge of a good-natured sailor named Bill Haines, who was to show us how to perform our duties. We got along with him very well, but when night came we were heartily tired, and after a supper of stewed beef and potatoes, with dry biscuit, we went to our bunks and slept soundly. No, I can't say that we slept soundly, but we would have done so had we not been disturbed repeatedly during the night by the arrival of other members of the crew, the majority of them in a condition of greater or less intoxication.
Then, too, the place was badly ventilated, and the air was very foul. I compared it with our garrets at home, with thin cracks that allowed the wind to blow in upon us, and the comparison was not at all in favor of the ship. I had a headache in the morning, and so had David; but a few whiffs of the air on deck made us all right again.
CHAPTER III.
DEPARTURE FROM BOSTON.—OUT AT SEA.—WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.—MEETING A STRANGER.
In the morning the last of the crew came on board, or rather were brought there, as the most of them were so intoxicated that they were unable to walk. I told David I didn't want to go to sea with such men as that, and he agreed with me. He suggested that we had better go and speak to the captain before the ship got away from the dock, and ask him to let us go ashore and stay there.