This cast a gloom over the ship—for all liked the brave young fellow—that it took some time to dispel.
Sorrow, however, is a plant that thrives but badly in a climate like that of Jamaica, and I think the same may be said for other tropical climates—notably, perhaps, that of India. For six weeks I myself lay ill in Bombay of rheumatic fever, but during all that time I never had a single fit of depression or lowness of spirits.
Things then soon resumed their usual level on board the Gurnet. Gribble came back from hospital; Mr. Fitzgerald, alias Lord Tomfoozle, was appointed acting sub-lieutenant; and Jack Mackenzie became senior, because sole midshipman, of the ship.
CHAPTER XIII.
PADDY'S HYBRID—"A QUARE, QUARE BASTE, SORR"—TRICKY
NIGGERS—BLACK MAN AS COOK—WAR DECLARED.
I think there is no more grateful man than your honest blue-jacket or marine if he receives a favour; and Paddy O'Rayne never forgot Dr. Reikie's kindness to him after that accident of his at Constantinople, when he went on shore to visit the "unspakeable Turk."
"He might have planked me for it," he told his messmates more than a dozen times, "and got my grog and my leave stopped for months, sure. But my jewel av a master didn't; and troth it's meself that lives in the hope of seeing him in the clutches of the lion or tiger, or drowning in the deep say before my very eyes, just that I may have the pleasure of saving his loife entoirely."
This might have been, and doubtless was intended as a good wish; still it was a somewhat strange one. Only Paddy meant it.
And the honest fellow, too, was constantly trying to do little things to please his master.
Knowing the fondness that the doctor had for getting hold of all kinds of natural history curios, never a time did Paddy go on shore without bringing him something. But most of these were of little use, and speedily found their way overboard.