“Stop your mouth, and get up!” said he.
“I’ll get up,” said I, “if you’ll undertake that he shall immediately hang at the mainmast!”
“That’s my business,” said the Captain. “Up with you, or you shall hang there yourself!”
Now, Surgeon Burke was come hither, standing at the entry of the cabin, and it came into my thoughts to appeal from my brother unto him. However, I perceived the foolishness of this. “Well, have it as you will,” said I, and got to my feet.
Ouvery lay some moments where he was, gnawing the mat upon the floor with his teeth, and growling like a dog. Thereupon he stirred, slowly turned over on his back, and so lay lumpish and dazed and retching after a disgusting manner. This horrible villain did reek of rum, so that the cabin was full of the stench of it; and, becoming faint, I was fain to get forth to the open air.
As I passed out of the cabin, Surgeon Burke winked his eye to me, and said in my ear:
“Never you mind, my boy! I’ll take him in hand. I’ll bleed him, to the last drop!”
CHAPTER VIII.
THALASS.
Coming forth upon the poop, I desponded in my mind, thinking of home and England; and the sea, with all the beauty of its clear and flashing blue waters, was hateful to me; yea, it cruelly smiled on me with its shining face.
For I suffered loneliness, such loneliness as exiles know; than which, to sensible men, there is not on the earth a more cruel affliction. Here, indeed, on this populous King’s ship, of which my very brother was in command, I did find myself alone with a desolation very far greater than solitude of place. Doubtless there was something of God in the villainous men, deep in the hearts of them, as there is something of God in all things; and the rest (to speak truly) is but distortion and shadow and absence and darkness. But I did not understand it so, and looked but on the appearance, loathing them for their villainous demeanour, and filthy discourse.