But Kep was tired and was soon in the land of dreams.
He was up at four bells, and went on deck bare-footed--the men were washing decks--to plash about and see the red sun rise over hills of rolling water.
CHAPTER V
THE SHIP "MACBETH."--HORRIBLE MUTINY
Wind some points abaft the beam, the Macbeth on the starboard tack, and heeling prettily over to it, doing about ten knots.
On such a morning as this, in these warm and sparkling seas, on which showers of diamonds seemed to be falling, with the light blue overhead and the darker below, who could help being joyful.
In their curious and mixed "garble" the men laughed and joked, and even sang as they sluiced the water about and plied their scrubbers.
Now and then half a watch, obedient to the mate's command, would take a pull at the traces, "Lee-hoe-ing" as they did so, as musically as the song of the sea-birds, until the shout "Belay!" fell on their ears.
By sunset of that first day every man was acquainted with his quarters, so to speak, and the crew had settled down. The skipper, first and second mates, and bo's'n lived in the saloon, the older and best men, chips, the cooper, and so forth were in the half-deck, and forward, below or above deck, as suited them, the rest of the crew bunked.
Despite the terrible tale which Dolphin had told him, the tragedy of last voyage, Kep thought he was bound to be happy. At the same time he had already made up his mind that he would try to find another vessel when they reached Sidney. So he waited at table, he helped cook and steward, and he piped or played to the men in the evening, as well as being interpreter to the crew. He found that none of the officers or crew, except Dolphin, had been in her last voyage; I suppose the skipper made sure of that.