Mrs. Waters tugged lustily at my hair and screamed at the top of her voice, while her daughter looked on in consternation.
In a few moments the good lady let go my hair and very properly fainted. Then I soon had Crojack listening to reason.
When matters were straightened out a little, I went back to my bunk and lay there all the rest of my watch below, cursing my ill luck.
I said, in the beginning, that I was broad-minded, and I’ve always believed that, if there is an all-good and all-powerful Creator, there can be no wrong deduced from any action. He could and would prevent it.
Therefore, from this logical standpoint, there can be no wrong, for every one must believe in an all-good and all-powerful Creator.
From a social or religious standpoint the matter is quite different. A person can do much wrong from this standpoint.
This is not entirely a new line of reasoning, perhaps, but I’ve since come to the conclusion that it might have appeared so to Crojack and his niece at that time. Both of those looked upon that absurd affair from an illogical standpoint. Which goes to show how much wrong can be done a man by being more religious than logical. Why do good women always suspect wrong of good men? Bah!
CHAPTER VII.
In the morning, after standing our regular watches, all hands felt better.
I had been wondering how I could treat the affair of the log-book, and how I could get courage to face the passengers at the breakfast-table.