asleep or awake, drunk or sober, dead or alive.

Well, then, such was my old captain, Bobby Goss; and now I'll tell you
what happened to him. One evening, in the autumn-time, and just when
we were beginning to look out for the equinoctials, the _Lively Nan_
was lying with her anchor a-peak--for we didn't mean to stay long--in
Yarmouth Roads. There were three men on board, and one boy with
myself; they called him Lawrence. I forget his other name, for I aint
seen him for many a year. Well, the men had all turned in for'ards,
and we two were left to wait for the captain, who had gone ashore; and
after he came back, to take our spells at an anchor-watch till
daylight, when we were to trip, and be off to the Dogger. The weather
was near a dead calm, and warm for the time of year. The _Lively Nan_
was lying with her gaff hoisted half-way and the peak settled down, so
that we mightn't lose any time in setting the sail in the morning; and
Lawrence and I were lying in the fo'castle, with our pipes in our
mouths, watching the shore, to see if the captain was coming off, and
seeing the sun go down over the sand-hills and the steeples and the
wind-mills of Yarmouth. There weren't many vessels in the Roads; but
the Yarmouth galleys, that go dodging about among the sands, were
stretching in for the beach with the last puff of the evening breeze;
and the herring-boats could be seen going off to their ground like
specks out upon the sea. Then presently it got dark, and the
town-lights of Yarmouth came sparkling out, the harbour-light the
biggest, and away to the south'ard, the Lowstofft Light-house. But,
after all, there aint much amusement in watching lights, and we both
of us wanted to turn in; but till the captain came, there was no warm
blankets for either. So we got wondering what Old Goss was doing at
Yarmouth, and what was keeping him, and whether he'd come aboard drunk
or sober, and whether he'd blow us up, and whether he'd rope's-end us,