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Talcott? Is Talcott asleep, Miles?" "He and the second-mate are hard at it, sir full and by, and going ten knots," I muttered, wishing my tormentor in Japan, at the moment. "Ay; they are rackers at a sleep! I say, Miles, such a discovery as this will make a man's fortune!
The latter, in particular, was like a man in a state of lethargy, and Mark had half a mind to leave him, and make his condition an excuse for not having persisted in the call. But he succeeded in arousing the captain, who soon found the means to bring the second-mate to a state of semi-consciousness. "Well, sir," cried the captain, as soon as fairly awake himself, "what now?"
"No, no, I'll stop with the ship," said the first-mate. "Then it will be to keep me company," said the captain, "for I shall not stir." "Oh, well then, sir, I will take a run," said Mr Gregory. "You'll go too, Morgan?" "I should enjoy it much, sir," said the second-mate. "All right, then. I'll have the gig lowered and manned. The sooner you are off the better."
As it afterwards appeared, we were first seen by the mate of the watch, who ran to the taffrail, and, instead of giving an order to call all hands, he hailed us. Mr. Forbank, our second-mate, answered; mumbling his words so, that, if they were bad French, they did not sound like good English.
I now went as second-mate, in the Trio; an old English prize-ship, belonging to David Dunham. We were bound to Batavia, and sailed in January. After being a short time at sea, we found all our water gone, with the exception of one cask. The remainder had been lost by the bursting of the hoops, in consequence of the water's having frozen.
"Hang it all!" cried the first-mate; "it isn't a question of amount of cargo to unstow, but of time before we get at the miserable wretch. Now, what right has a man to come and hide down here, and upset the whole cargo and crew!" "My dear Gregory," cried the second-mate, "do let's begin somewhere." "Yes, but where, my lad where? Listen again. There, it's further in ever so much."
As I was the only officer in the ship who had ever seen anything of London, my fortnight's experience made me a notable man in the cabin. It was actually greater preferment for me than when I was raised from third to be second-mate.
Over this map he and the second-mate pondered with a sort of muzzy sagacity, when they came to the conclusion that a clear sea must prevail around them, in all directions, for a distance exceeding a thousand miles. A great deal is determined in any case of a dilemma, when it is decided that this or that fact must be so.
But this had been prevented by the presence of mind shown by Philip and the second-mate, for the Captain was a cipher: not wanting in courage certainly, but without conduct or a knowledge of his profession.
"Sounds like it," assented the second-mate. "Here, stop your noise!" This last was consequent upon a dismal howl uttered by Bruff, who felt himself aggrieved at being left alone. "Here, here!" cried Mark excitedly, and, raising his hands, he took the dog as he was passed down by the sailors. "Stop a minute, Mr Gregory, my dog will smell him out."
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