Then the other replied, he had told him more than he desired to know.

"Why, an that be the case," said the seaman, "I have no occasion to go aloft this trip, brother." This evasion would not serve his turn.

Old Tisiphone was at hand, and led him up growling into the hall of audience, which he did not examine without trepidation.

Having been directed to the coffin, where he presented half a crown, in hope of rendering the fates more propitious, the usual ceremony was performed, and the doctor addressed him in these words: "Approach, Raven." The captain advancing, "You an't much mistaken, brother," said he, "heave your eye into the binnacle, and box your compass, you'll find I'm a Crowe, not a Raven, thof indeed they be both fowls of a feather, as the saying is."-- "I know it," cried the conjurer, "thou art a northern crow,--a sea-crow; not a crow of prey, but a crow to be preyed upon;--a crow to be plucked,--to be flayed,--to be basted,--to be broiled by Margery upon the gridiron of matrimony." The novice changing colour at this denunciation, "I do understand your signals, brother," said he, "and if it be set down in the log-book of fate that we must grapple, why then 'ware timbers.

But as I know how the land lies, d'ye see, and the current of my inclination sets me off, I shall haul up close to the wind, and mayhap we shall clear Cape Margery.
But howsomever, we shall leave that reef in the fore top-sail .-- I was bound upon another voyage, d'ye see--to look and to see, and to know if so be as how I could pick up any intelligence along shore concerning my friend Sir Launcelot, who slipped his cable last night, and has lost company, d'ye see." "What!" exclaimed the cunning man; "art thou a crow, and canst not smell carrion?
If thou wouldst grieve for Greaves, behold his naked carcase lies unburied, to feed the kites, the crows, the gulls, the rooks, and ravens."-- "What! broach'd to ?" "Dead as a boil'd lobster."-- "Odd's heart, friend, these are the heaviest tidings I have heard these seven long years--there must have been deadly odds when he lowered his top-sails--smite my eyes! I had rather the Mufti had foundered at sea, with myself and all my generation on board--well fare thy soul, flower of the world! had honest Sam Crowe been within hail--but what signifies palavering ?" Here the tears of unaffected sorrow flowed plentifully down the furrows of the seaman's cheeks;--then his grief giving way to his indignation, "Hark ye, brother conjurer," said he, "you can spy foul weather before it comes, d--n your eyes! why did not you give us warning of this here squall?
B--st my limbs! I'll make you give an account of this here d--ned, horrid, confounded murder, d'ye see--mayhap you yourself was concerned, d'ye see .-- For my own part, brother, I put my trust in God, and steer by the compass, and I value not your paw-wawing and your conjuration of a rope's end, d'ye see." The conjurer was by no means pleased, either with the matter or the manner of this address.