pretending to be hurt at my doubting his word.

"Let us hear how it happened," said Jack, while a good-natured
smile overspread his face.

"Well, you must know," began Peterkin, "that the very day before I
went to sea, I was greatly taken up with a game at hockey, which I
was playing with my old school-fellows for the last time before
leaving them. You see I was young then, Ralph." Peterkin gazed,
in an abstracted and melancholy manner, out to sea! "Well, in the
midst of the game, my uncle, who had taken all the bother and
trouble of getting me bound 'prentice and rigged out, came and took
me aside, and told me that he was called suddenly away from home,
and would not be able to see me aboard, as he had intended.
'However,' said he, 'the captain knows you are coming, so that's
not of much consequence; but as you'll have to find the ship
yourself, you must remember her name and description. D'ye hear,
boy?' I certainly did hear, but I'm afraid I did not understand,
for my mind was so taken up with the game, which I saw my side was
losing, that I began to grow impatient, and the moment my uncle
finished his description of the ship, and bade me good-bye, I
bolted back to my game, with only a confused idea of three masts,
and a green painted tafferel, and a gilt figure-head of Hercules
with his club at the bow. Next day I was so much cast down with
everybody saying good-bye, and a lot o' my female friends cryin'
horribly over me, that I did not start for the harbour, where the
ship was lying among a thousand others, till it was almost too
late. So I had to run the whole way. When I reached the pier,
there were so many masts, and so much confusion, that I felt quite
humblebumbled in my faculties. 'Now,' said I to myself, 'Peterkin,