He must be a smart seaman, a bold fellow, too, otherwise the ruffianly crew will be too much for him; he may bid high, we'll come to his price.' "'So you may,' thought I, 'when you're buying his life.' "'I hope sincerely,' continued the admiral, 'that we may light upon some one without wife or child; I never could forgive myself--' "'Never fear, my lord,' said the other; 'my care shall be to pitch upon one whose loss no one would feel; some one without friend or home, who, setting his life for nought, cares less for the gain than the very recklessness of the adventure.' "'That's me,' said I, springing up from the anchor-stock, and springing between them; 'I'm that man.' "Had the very Devil himself appeared at the moment, I doubt if they would have been more scared.

The admiral started a pace or two backwards, while Dawkins, the first surprise over, seized me by the collar, and hold me fast.
"'Who are you, scoundrel, and what brings you here ?' said he, in a voice hoarse with passion.
"'I'm old Noah,' said I; for somehow, I had been called by no other name for so long, I never thought of my real one.
"'Noah!' said the admiral,--'Noah! Well, but Noah, what were you doing here at this time of night ?' "'I was a watching the Ark, my lord,' said I, bowing, as I took off my hat.
"'I've heard of this fellow before, my lord,' said Dawkins; 'he's a poor lunatic that is always wandering about the harbor, and, I believe, has no harm in him.' "'Yes, but he has been listening, doubtless, to our conversation,' said the admiral.

'Eh, have you heard all we have been saying ?' "'Every word of it, my lord.' "At this the admiral and Dawkins looked steadfastly at each other for some minutes, but neither spoke; at last Dawkins said, 'Well, Noah, I've been told you are a man to be depended on; may we rely upon your not repeating anything you overheard this evening,--at least, for a year to come ?' "'You may,' said I.
"'But, Dawkins,' said the admiral, in a half-whisper, 'if the poor fellow be mad ?' "'My lord,' said I, boldly, 'I am not mad.

Misfortune and calamity I have had enough of to make me so; but, thank God, my brain has been tougher than my poor heart.

I was once the part-owner and commander of a goodly craft, that swept the sea, if not with a broad pennon at her mast-head, with as light a spirit as ever lived beneath one.