"If we don't abandon her, Skipper,"
said he, "she'll abandon us. We'd better make signal for the first
vessel, and bid the old coffin good-by."
The captain was more determined in his resolution, and instead of
being influenced by the mate's fears, continued his order, and the
men went to work with a cheerful willingness. None seemed more
anxious to lend a ready hand than Manuel, for in addition to is
duties as steward, he had worked at sail-making, and both worked at
and directed the repairing of the sails. Those acquainted with
maritime affairs can readily appreciate the amount of labor
necessary to provide a mess with the means at hand that we have
before described. And yet he did it to the satisfaction of all, and
manifested a restless anxiety lest he should not make everybody
comfortable, and particularly his little pet boy, Tommy.
"We'll get a good observation at meridian, and then we shall shape
our course for Charleston, South Carolina. We'll be more likely to
reach it than any other southern port," said the captain to his
mate. "That steward, Manuel, is worth his weight in gold. If we have
to abandon the old craft, I'll take him home; the owners respect him
just as much as a white man; his politeness and affability could not
but command such esteem, with a man that a'n't a fool. I never
believed in making equals of negroes, but if Manuel was to be
classed with niggers for all the nigger blood that's in him,
seven-tenths of the inhabitants of the earth would go with him.
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