Many a
cold, stormy night had he been ordered to take his turn in the watch,
upon deck, in spite of the petitions of the men to fill his place; and
he would walk the deck for hours, to keep from becoming benumbed with
the cold; but, as his mother had predicted, the hardships and dangers to
which he was exposed did not serve to dampen his spirits, and for that
very reason, did the captain shower upon him many abuses; for in spite
of his cruel treatment toward him, he never had had the pleasure of
seeing him look anything but cheerful. At such times, when the wind was
howling fiercely, and the salt spray came dashing over the deck,
freezing upon the cheek of the youthful mariner, but never penetrating
that heart, which was warmed by the remembrance of other days, the boy
would think of home, of his mother, and as he uttered the name of the
Sea-flower aloud, those deep-toned voices of the sea would appear as if
the wild reechoings of the tone; and the low moanings of the wind
through the shrouds were of pity for that lone one on the deck of the
"outward bound." Could the boy have had old Nep for a companion in his
midnight watchings, he would have served to while away the time, but
that pleasure was not allowed him, for Captain Jostler had threatened to
throw the dog overboard, if he came in contact with him in any of his
walks; consequently Harry had doomed him to a life in the hold, seldom
venturing to visit him, except to carry the food which he had saved from
his own short allowance; and he often wondered how the poor fellow could
keep alive on such short rations, not knowing of the purloined bits
which were bestowed upon him from Sampson's commodious jacket-sleeve.
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