“Will it?” groaned Jack. “I was afraid to come down for fear they should see and laugh at me. Oh, how bad I am! Why did we come?”
“I dunno, sir. It was the guv’nor’s doing. But you try and keep up.”
“It is impossible. You don’t know how bad I feel.”
“No, sir, but I know how bad I feel.”
“You!” said Jack dismally. “Surely you are not going to be ill?”
“Why not, sir? I feel just as if my works had gone all wrong, but I haven’t got time to be ill. Come on deck, sir.”
“No. Help me to my berth.”
“Right, sir,” said the man; and waiting till the vessel seemed steadier, he took tightly hold of his young master’s arm, helped him to his legs, and tried to guide him across the cabin to his little state-room; but at the first step Jack made a dive, and they went down together.
“Please, sir, this ain’t swimming lessons.”
“Let me crawl,” groaned Jack.