“Indeed–why?”
“When you ran your hand along the table for the treacle.... He used to think the treacle was put aboard for him. He told the second mate off for eating too much of it–said it wasn’t really for his use. After that we all began to eat the stuff like blazes.”
“You must have had some funny captains in this line.”
“He was. He’d come up sometimes on the bridge and sit down in the wheel and start making noises to himself. He’d sit there with his old chin drooping and say, ’... I knew it.... Haw, haw.... The silly old b—.... Bless my soul....’ for twenty minutes. I’d go away from the wheel for fear of laughing out–and then he’d go somewhere else and do it.”
“Davy Jones got him at the finish, didn’t he?”
“–And a dam’d fine ship too.”
“It was her maiden trip.”
“What happened to her?”
“Ran ashore.”
“Both the boats capsized.”