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"Why, sir," answered Martin, who was suffering from a grape-shot wound in the leg, "I understood you to say this morning as none of us as is wounded is to go aloft; yet here's this here bo's'un swears as he'll make me go up and take the turn out o' that fore-to'gallan' clew, instead of sendin' one of his own people up to do it.
He would speak to me by the hour in ostentatious idleness; and only if the bo's'un or a mate came by, fell-to languidly for just the necessary time till they were out of sight. 'I'm not breaking my heart with it, he remarked.
As he read on, he commented, in his brief, pointed way, upon the text, contrasting the Boatswain's practical usefulness with the shivering helplessness of the Courtiers. "Now this is your proper somatology," he added. "What our Bo's'un says to Gonzalo, the world will say to you, Clarian, when you propose to it any of your panaceas: Are you able to do better than we?
We edged up closer and closer, and when the haze lifted, came on a hot little fight in progress between a big ship and a small one, and crowded the rigging and bulwarks to make it out. "Little chap's a Britisher, I'll wager you," said old Martin Cohu, the bo's'un. "A privateer then, and t'other a merchantman." "Unless it's t'other way on.
"The skipper said something about lightening the ship, and ordered the bo's'un to clear away the boats and see all ready for hoistin' 'em out, and directed me to go down into the fore-peak and rouse out all the hawsers I could find down there, and send 'em up on deck.
They wouldn't mind if they saw you all lying dead one upon the top of another. This was enough. A very little humanity went a long way with me after the experience of the evening. A sympathy grew up at once between the bo's'un and myself; and that night, and during the next few days, I learned to appreciate him better. He was a remarkable type, and not at all the kind of man you find in books.
But there he was; and by the doctor's order and the kind force of his two shipmates disappeared down the companion of Steerage No. 1 into the den allotted him. At the foot of our own companion, just where I had found Blackwood, Jones and the bo's'un were now engaged in talk.
I had not forgotten his rough speech; but I remembered also that he had helped us about the lantern; and now seeing him in conversation with Jones, and being choked with indignation, I proceeded to blow off my steam. "Well," said I, "I make you my compliments upon your steward," and furiously narrated what had happened. "I've nothing to do with him," replied the bo's'un. "They're all alike.
"Gone aboard this morning along o' Toby Hudd the bo's'un!" "See here, my bright lads," quoth Penfeather, eyeing each scowling face in turn, "learn this when you come aboard my ship and I say to one o' ye do this or do that, he does it, d'ye see, or up to the yard-arm he swings by his thumbs or his neck as occasion warrants. D'ye get me, my bully roarers?"
I had not forgotten his rough speech; but I remembered also that he had helped us about the lantern; and now seeing him in conversation with Jones, and being choked with indignation, I proceeded to blow off my steam. 'Well, said I, 'I make you my compliments upon your steward, and furiously narrated what had happened. 'I've nothing to do with him, replied the bo's'un. 'They're all alike.
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