I was thoroughly exhausted, not so much from the want of rest as from the excitement I had gone through. Still, I had a part to play before I turned in; so I stuck my knuckles in my eyes to rub them open, and waited for Stevens, who presently came on deck, having first stopped on the main-deck to grumble to his crony Fish over his not having had a quarter of an hour's sleep since midnight.
"I'm growed sick o' the sight o' this poop," he growled to me. "Sick o' the sight o' the whole wessel. Fust part o' the woyage I was starved for food. Now, with the skipper overboard, I'm starved for sleep. How long are we going to take to reach Florida? Sink me if I shouldn't ha' woted for some nearer coast had I known this woyage wur going to last to the day o' judgment."
"If it don't fall calm," I answered, "I may safely promise to put you off the coast of Florida on Friday afternoon."
He thrust his hands into his breeches' pockets, and stared aft.
"I am very much troubled about the loss of the bo'sun," said I.
"Are you?" he responded, ironically.
"He was a civil man and a good sailor."
"Yes; I dessay he was. But he's no use now."
"He deserved that we should have made an effort to save him."
"Well, you said that before, and I said no; and I suppose I know wot I mean when I says no."