“Don’t I do my duty, sir?” asked Newcomb with apparent innocence.
“Yes, and I’ll take good care that you continue to,” responded the captain.
“Very well, sir,” said Newcomb pertly. “If I do my duty, I must respectfully continue the privilege of maintaining this silence.”
Nonplussed at this attitude, De Long looked at the infantile naturalist a moment, then gave up, turned on his heel and left. Needless to say, the ice-pilot promptly did likewise, leaving Newcomb in proud possession of his privilege of silence.
But this was only a beginning of increased ill-will in the mess, owing probably to the general state of ragged nerves. The very next morning, Dr. Ambler and Collins had a fierce set-to about the slamming of a door. It so happened that I was sitting in the wardroom, calmly reading a book, when along came Starr, the Jack-of-the-dust, to break stores out of the afterhold. He opened the wardroom door and fastened it back in order to roll a barrel through it, which he did. Just then four bells struck, and it being Ambler’s turn to get the ten o’clock observations, the doctor drew on his parka and went out the opened door, followed soon by the huge Russian, who, sailor fashion, kicked the door to as he passed. The door closed with a bang, startling Collins, who as usual was asleep during the morning. Collins, grabbing a few clothes, shot by me out of his room, mad as a hornet. He never noticed Starr who was still busy rolling his barrel forward, but spotting the doctor on his way up to the deck above, raced after him, seized him by the arm, and belligerently demanded,
“What d’ye mean by slamming the door like that? You know well enough I always sleep in the morning!”
Ambler looked at him in complete mystification.
“Why, what are you talking about, Mr. Collins? I haven’t closed any doors, let alone slammed them.”
“What d’ye think woke me up then? I’m not crazy! I heard you do it, and I’m damned sick of my being broken out of my sleep by you or by anybody!”
A dangerous hardness came into Dr. Ambler’s usually soft Virginian voice.