Humphrey spent his time peeling potatoes, washing saucepans and cleaning the floor. Cooky, the cook, told Humphrey about the ship. “That is ‘The Ghost’! It’s the best sealing schooner in the area”, he said. “But the captain is the worst!”
The captain was a powerful man and often hit the sailors. The man on the boat hated ‘Sea Wolf’, the captain. “Come here, Harrison,” Wolf shouted to a young boy. “Go up the mast and tie the sails.”
“It’s a difficult job,” said Johnson the mate. “The boy must learn,” the captain answered. The young sailor hesitated a moment, and then began to climb the mast. It was very windy. The ship rocked and rolled in the rough sea. The young boy was petrified! He clung to the mast, too frightened to move.
“Hurry up,” shouted Wolf, “you can come down when the sails are tied, not before!”
“The boy has no experience,” said the mate. “I’ll go and help him.”
