"But I can trust you not to mention that, Mr. Jones, sir, to any one?"
"Oh, certainly, Bo's'n, you need have no fear of my telling your—our secret."
The night of my marriage was a very dark and gloomy one. I had been asleep but a short time when I was awakened by the Skipper. The Bo's'n was lying as far from us as he could get. His antipathy to the Skipper had not abated, and at night especially he seemed afraid to come anywhere near him. He was sleeping heavily, poor man! Most of the work came upon the Bo's'n, and I'm afraid we did not appreciate his willingness as much as we should have done.
"I have a favour to ask," whispered the Skipper.
"Ask ahead," said I. "You've done me a service to-day, Captain, which shall be a real one in time, or I'll know the reason why."
"What's that?" asked the Skipper in amazement.
"Well, no matter, if your memory's so short. Now what can I do for you?"
"I've been lyin' awake thinkin'," said the Skipper.
"So have I," I answered.
"Not what I was thinkin' of, I'll be bound," said the Skipper. "Man, as a usual thing, is so regardless of his fellow-man." The Skipper nodded his head several times, as if he were the one considerate creature that God ever made. "Man is selfish, man is occupied only with his own small affairs."