With his hand to his back he came up to me, where I stood among the by-standers, saying, “O Lord, O Lord! that boatswain’s mate, too, had a spite agin me; he always thought it was me that set afloat that yarn about his wife in Norfolk. O Lord! just run your hand under my shirt will you, White-Jacket? There!! didn’t he have a spite agin me, to raise such bars as them? And my shirt all cut to pieces, too—arn’t it, White-Jacket? Damn me, but these coltings puts the tin in the Purser’s pocket. O Lord! my back feels as if there was a red-hot gridiron lashed to it. But I told you so—a widow’s curse on him, say I—he thought I meant him, and not Priming.”
CHAPTER LIV.
“THE PEOPLE” ARE GIVEN “LIBERTY.”
Whenever, in intervals of mild benevolence, or yielding to mere politic dictates, Kings and Commodores relax the yoke of servitude, they should see to it well that the concession seem not too sudden or unqualified; for, in the commoner’s estimation, that might argue feebleness or fear.
Hence it was, perhaps, that, though noble Jack had carried the day captive in his audience at the mast, yet more than thirty-six hours elapsed ere anything official was heard of the “liberty” his shipmates so earnestly coveted. Some of the people began to growl and grumble.
“It’s turned out all gammon, Jack,” said one.
“Blast the Commodore!” cried another, “he bamboozled you, Jack.”
“Lay on your oars a while,” answered Jack, “and we shall see; we’ve struck for liberty, and liberty we’ll have! I’m your tribune, boys; I’m your Rienzi. The Commodore must keep his word.”
Next day, about breakfast-time, a mighty whistling and piping was heard at the main-hatchway, and presently the boatswain’s voice was heard: “D’ye hear there, fore and aft! all you starboard-quarter watch! get ready to go ashore on liberty!”
In a paroxysm of delight, a young mizzen-top-man, standing by at the time, whipped the tarpaulin from his head, and smashed it like a pancake on the deck. “Liberty!” he shouted, leaping down into the berth-deck after his bag.
At the appointed hour, the quarter-watch mustered round the capstan, at which stood our old First Lord of the Treasury and Pay-Master-General, the Purser, with several goodly buck-skin bags of dollars, piled up on the capstan. He helped us all round to half a handful or so, and then the boats were manned, and, like so many Esterhazys, we were pulled ashore by our shipmates. All their lives lords may live in listless state; but give the commoners a holiday, and they outlord the Commodore himself.