There shall be no persuasion or intimidation."
"Beg pardon, Captain Passford; but there isn't a man here that would go
to the mainmast if he knew that the forecastle would drop out from under
him, and let him down into Davy Jones's locker the next minute if he
staid here," responded Boxie, with a complaisant grin on his face, as
if he was entirely conscious that he knew what he was talking about.
"Every man must act on his own free will," added the owner.
"That's just what we are all doing, your honor; and every one of us
would rather go than have his wages doubled. If any dumper here has a
free will to go to the mainmast, he'd better put his head in soak,
and"--
"Avast heaving, Boxie!" interposed the owner, smiling in spite of
himself at the earnestness of the old sailor.
"I hain't got a word more to say, your honor; only"--
"Only nothing, Boxie! I see that not one of you is inclined to leave the
vessel, and I appreciate in the highest degree this devotion on your
part to me and my family. I have some writing to do now; and, while I am
engaged upon it, Mr. Watts shall take the name and residence of every
man on board. I shall give this list to my wife, and charge her to see
that those dependent upon you need nothing in your absence. She will
visit the friends of every one of you, if she has to go five hundred
miles to do so. I have nothing more to say at present."
The men cheered lustily for the owner, and then separated, as the
captain went aft to draw up his papers to send on shore by Mrs.
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