"
[Footnote 3: Seals.]
This apology made it plain that Skipper Benjie was large-hearted enough,
or indulgent enough, not to seek to strain others, even his own family,
up to his own way in everything; and it might easily be thought that
the young fisherman had different feelings about sealing from those
that the planter's story was meant to bring out. All being ready, he
began his tale again:--
"I shipped wi' Skipper Isra'l Gooden, from Carbonear; the schooner was
the Baccaloue, wi' forty men, all told. 'T was of a Sunday morn'n 'e
'ould sail, twel'th day o' March, wi' another schooner in company,--the
Sparrow. There was a many of us was n' too good, but we thowt wrong
of 'e's takun the Lord's Day to 'e'sself. Wull, Sir, afore I comed 'ome,
I was in a great desert country, an' floated on sea wi' a monstrous
great raft that no man never made, creakun an' crashun an' groanun an'
tumblun an' wastun an' goun to pieces, an' no man on her but me, an'
full o' livun things,--dreadful!
"About a five hours out, 't was, we first sid the blink,[4] an' comed
up wi' th' Ice about off Cape Bonavis'.
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