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           Iwasreadyenoughtogooffwanderingonthefaceoftheearth—andthatwaspriceenoughtopayforanAbelofthatsort.Anyhow,hewouldn’tlistentome.‘Thisthingmusttakeitscourse.Irepresentthelawhere.’Hewasshakinglikealeaf.‘Soyouwon’t?’‘No!’‘ThenIhopeyouwillbeabletosleeponthat,’Isaid,andturnedmybackonhim.‘Iwonderthatyoucan,’crieshe,andlocksthedoor.

           “Wellafterthat,Icouldn’t.Notverywell.Thatwasthreeweeksago.WehavehadaslowpassagethroughtheJavaSea;driftedaboutCarimatafortendays.Whenweanchoredheretheythought,Isuppose,itwasallright.Thenearestland(andthat’sfivemiles)istheship’sdestination;theconsulwouldsoonsetaboutcatchingme;andtherewouldhavebeennoobjectinholdingtotheseisletsthere.Idon’tsupposethere’sadropofwateronthem.Idon’tknowhowitwas,buttonightthatsteward,afterbringingmemysupper,wentouttoletmeeatit,andleftthedoorunlocked.AndIateit—alltherewas,too.AfterIhadfinishedIstrolledoutonthequarter-deck.Idon’tknowthatImeanttodoanything.AbreathoffreshairwasallIwanted,Ibelieve.Thenasuddentemptationcameoverme.IkickedoffmyslippersandwasinthewaterbeforeIhadmadeupmymindfairly.Somebodyheardthesplashandtheyraisedanawfulhullabaloo.‘He’sgone!Lowertheboats!He’scommittedsuicide!No,he’sswimming.’CertainlyIwasswimming.It’snotsoeasyforaswimmerlikemetocommitsuicidebydrowning.