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"

Well

,

as

you

're

always

doing

that

at

any

rate

,

"

remarked

Jack

,

"

we

could

scarcely

call

it

a

change

.

But

the

fact

is

,

I

've

been

thinking

over

this

subject

before

.

There

is

a

certain

nut

growing

in

these

islands

which

is

called

the

candle-nut

,

because

the

natives

use

it

instead

of

candles

;

and

I

know

all

about

it

,

and

how

to

prepare

it

for

burning

--

"

"

Then

why

do

n't

you

do

it

?

"

interrupted

Peterkin

.

"

Why

have

you

kept

us

in

the

dark

so

long

,

you

vile

philosopher

?

"

"

Because

,

"

said

Jack

,

"

I

have

not

seen

the

tree

yet

,

and

I

'm

not

sure

that

I

should

know

either

the

tree

or

the

nuts

if

I

did

see

them

.

You

see

,

I

forget

the

description

.

"

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"

Ah

!

that

's

just

the

way

with

me

,

"

said

Peterkin

with

a

deep

sigh

.

"

I

never

could

keep

in

my

mind

for

half-an-hour

the

few

descriptions

I

ever

attempted

to

remember

.

The

very

first

voyage

I

ever

made

was

caused

by

my

mistaking

a

description

--

or

forgetting

it

,

which

is

the

same

thing

.

And

a

horrible

voyage

it

was

.

I

had

to

fight

with

the

captain

the

whole

way

out

,

and

made

the

homeward

voyage

by

swimming

!

"

"

Come

,

Peterkin

,

"

said

I

,

"

you

ca

n't

get

even

me

to

believe

that

.

"

"

Perhaps

not

,

but

it

's

true

notwithstanding

,

"

returned

Peterkin

,

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

.

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"

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

taffrail

,

and

a

gilt

figurehead

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

humble-bumbled

in

my

faculties

.

'

Now

,

'

said

I

to

myself

,

'

Peterkin

,

you

're

in

a

fix

.

'

Then

I

fancied

I

saw

a

gilt

figurehead

and

three

masts

belonging

to

a

ship

just

about

to

start

;

so

I

darted

on

board

,

but

speedily

jumped

on

shore

again

when

I

found

that

two

of

the

masts

belonged

to

another

vessel

and

the

figurehead

to

a

third

!

At

last

I

caught

sight

of

what

I

made

sure

was

it

--

a

fine

large

vessel

just

casting

off

her

moorings

.

The

taffrail

was

green

.

Three

masts

--

yes

,

that

must

be

it

--

and

the

gilt

figurehead

of

Hercules

.

To

be

sure

,

it

had

a

three-pronged

pitchfork

in

its

hand

instead

of

a

club

;

but

that

might

be

my

uncle

's

mistake

,

or

perhaps

Hercules

sometimes

varied

his

weapons

.

'

Cast

off

!

'

roared

a

voice

from

the

quarter-deck

.

'

Hold

on

!

'

cried

I

,

rushing

frantically

through

the

crowd

.

'

Hold

on

!

hold

on

!

'

repeated

some

of

the

bystanders

,

while

the

men

at

the

ropes

delayed

for

a

minute

.

This

threw

the

captain

into

a

frightful

rage

;

for

some

of

his

friends

had

come

down

to

see

him

off

,

and

having

his

orders

contradicted

so

flatly

was

too

much

for

him

.

However

,

the

delay

was

sufficient

.

I

took

a

race

and

a

good

leap

;

the

ropes

were

cast

off

;

the

steam-tug

gave

a

puff

,

and

we

started

.

Suddenly

the

captain

walks

up

to

me

:

'

Where

did

you

come

from

,

you

scamp

,

and

what

do

you

want

here

?

'

"

'

Please

,

sir

,

'

said

I

,

touching

my

cap

,

'

I

'm

your

new

'

prentice

come

aboard

.

'

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