“A what?”
“Emergency.”
“New kind of sickness?” says Rameses III. “Ketchin’?”
“Not catching,” says Catty, “an emergency means a special time, not like other times, when something has to be done.”
“Um.... And in this emergency eatin’ has to be done, I judge.”
“That’s what,” says Catty.
“You wouldn’t have got it if it hadn’t been for that word,” says Rameses III, “but that’s a good word, and I kin use it arguin’ with Naboth. I calc’late if I shove that word at him when he’s goin’ strong, it’ll jest collapse him like a busted paper bag. Emergency, eh? Well, fer this emergency you git coffee and a ham sandwich apiece and a handful of fried cakes. Now go git them wet clothes off and roll into your bunks, and I’ll fetch in the grub. Skedaddle out of this here galley.”
We skedaddled, and in five minutes Rameses III came in with a lunch that would have made a cannibal’s mouth water even if he was chuck-full of missionary. We gobbled it down, and that’s the last I remember. I went to sleep so fast and so hard that I guess it set a new world’s record.
CHAPTER X
In the morning Mr. Browning hadn’t come aboard, but Naboth was there, and he told us Mr. Topper was sick with a disease he called pender-sidus, and had to be operated on. He said Mr. Browning had to stay with Mr. Topper, and he didn’t know how long it would be.