"Half-frozen as they were, there was a cheer rung out from that crew that waked half the North-End out of their morning nap.
"'Just my plaguy luck!' said the old fellow to me, as he told it. 'If I'd held on to my anchors another half-hour, I might have come handsomely alongside of Long Wharf and been up to the custom-house before breakfast.'
"He had drifted broadside square into Boston Harbor, past Nahant, the Graves, Cohasset Rocks, and everything."
"I've heard of that," said the captain,—"and as it's my opinion it couldn't be done twice, I don't mean to try it."
"I hear the noise about thy keel,
I hear the bell struck in the night,
I see the cabin-window bright,
I see the sailor at the wheel,"—
repeated Fred ——, in my ear. "Come below out of this wet and rain," added he.
We passed the door of the mate's state-room as we went below, and, seeing it ajar, and Mr. Pitman, the mate, sitting there, we looked in.
"Come in, gentlemen," said he; "my watch on deck is in half an hour, and I'm not sleepy to-night."
F—— took up a carved whale's tooth, and asked if Mr. Pitman had ever been in the whaling business.
"Two voyages,—one before the mast, one boat-steerer;—both in the Pacific. But whaling didn't suit me. I've a Missus now, and a couple of as fine boys as ever you saw; and I rather be where I can come home oftener than once in three years."