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Her crew consisted of seven or eight regular seamen, a sailing-master, mate, cook, steward, and a boy to assist him. A fine Newfoundland dog, called "Sailor," and a droll little ring-tail monkey, called "Jacko," also joined in the mess for'ard. Lord R , with Captain P and myself, made up the entire complement.
It was the first time I had seen him for'ard. I shall not bother to describe the burial. All I shall say of it is that it was as sordid as Christian Jespersen's life had been and as his death had been. As for Miss West, she sat in a deck-chair on the poop busily engaged with some sort of fancy work.
The only breaks and no beams had been cut for them were the main cabin skylight and companionway, the booby hatch for'ard over the tiny forecastle, and the small hatch aft that let down into the store-room. And on this small deck, in addition to the crew, were the "return" niggers from three far-flung plantations.
"Wish I had a thousand bets like the one with you, sir." I glanced about at sea and sky and gauged the speed of our way by the foam, but failed to see anything that warranted his remark. It was surely fine weather, and the steward, in token of the same, was trying to catch fluttering Cape pigeons with a bent pin on a piece of thread. For'ard, on the poop, I encountered Mr. Pike.
"I'd give five hundred dollars, though," he added, "just to be aboard the Macedonia for five minutes, listening to my brother curse." "And now, Mr. Van Weyden," he said to me when he had been relieved from the wheel, "we must make these new-comers welcome. Serve out plenty of whisky to the hunters and see that a few bottles slip for'ard.
Ease her! Ease her! Ease her into the big ones, damn you! Don't let her head fall off! Steady! Where in hell did you learn to steer? What cow-farm was you raised on?" Here he bounded for'ard past us with those incredible leaps of his. "It would be good to set the mizzen-topgallant," I heard Captain West mutter in a weak, quavery voice. "Mr. Pathurst, will you please tell Mr.
"If that Pepper man would only come for'ard and say what he was going to do!" sighed Mother Atterson. That was the continual complaint now. As the winter advanced all four of the family bore the option in mind continually. There was talk of the railroad going before the Legislature to ask for the condemnation of the property it needed, in the spring.
He said nothing: the situation was beyond mere oaths, but wrath surged in him like a flood. Around the for'ard house, walking with measured steps, came Mr. Fant, the mate of the Etna, and accosted him. "Sobered up, have ye?" said Mr. Fant. "Yes, sir," said Goodwin. "That's right," said Mr. Fant, smiling, surveying him with an appearance of gentle interest. "Knock-out drops?" he inquired.
Ahoy there, clipper ship!" another wag shouted. "Wot's yer port?" We took no notice of the joking, but acted, after the manner of greenhorns, as though the Coal Tar Maggie required our undivided attention. I rounded her well to windward of the Ghost, and Nicholas ran for'ard to drop the anchor.
Pike and Margaret alternate with phonograph and piano; and for'ard, although we cannot see them, a full-fledged "foo-foo" band makes most of the day and night hideous. A squealing accordion that Tom Spink says was the property of Mike Cipriani is played by Guido Bombini, who sets the pace and seems the leader of the foo-foo. There are two broken- reeded harmonicas. Someone plays a jew's-harp.
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