Theliquorworkeditswillwithme；thetalkofScottyandtheharpoonerpouredthroughthepentspaceoftheIdler’scabinandthroughmybrainlikegreatgustsofwide，freewind；andinimaginationIlivedmyyearstocomeandrockedoverthewild，mad，gloriousworldonmultitudinousadventures。
Weunbent。Ourinhibitionsandtaciturnitiesvanished。Wewereasifwehadknowneachotherforyearsandyears，andwepledgedourselvestoyearsoffuturevoyagingstogether。Theharpoonertoldofmisadventuresandsecretshames。ScottyweptoverhispooroldmotherinEdinburgh——alady，heinsisted，gentlyborn——
whowasinreducedcircumstances，whohadpinchedherselftopaythelumpsumtotheship-ownersforhisapprenticeship，whosesacrificingdreamhadbeentoseehimamerchantmanofficerandagentleman，andwhowasheartbrokenbecausehehaddesertedhisshipinAustraliaandjoinedanotherasacommonsailorbeforethemast。AndScottyprovedit。Hedrewherlastsadletterfromhispocketandweptoveritashereaditaloud。TheharpoonerandI
weptwithhim，andsworethatallthreeofuswouldshiponthewhaleshipBonanza，winabigpay-day，and，stilltogether，makeapilgrimagetoEdinburghandlayourstoreofmoneyinthedearlady’slap。
And，asJohnBarleycornheatedhiswayintomybrain，thawingmyreticence，meltingmymodesty，talkingthroughmeandwithmeandasme，myadoptedtwinbrotherandalterego，I，too，raisedmyvoicetoshowmyselfamanandanadventurer，andbraggedindetailandatlengthofhowIhadcrossedSanFranciscoBayinmyopenskiffinaroaringsouthwesterwheneventheschoonersailorsdoubtedmyexploit。Further，I——orJohnBarleycorn，foritwasthesamething——toldScottythathemightbeadeep-seasailorandknowthelastropeonthegreatdeep-seaships，butthatwhenitcametosmall-boatsailingIcouldbeathimhandsdownandsailcirclesaroundhim。