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Going up the harbor somebody hinted to Clancy that he ought to go and have a mug-up for himself after his hard work and it had been hard work. "And I'll take your place at the wheel," said that somebody, "for you must be tired, Tommie." "And maybe I am tired, too," answered Clancy, "but if I am, I'm just thick enough not to know it.
Go below, George, she's all right now, and tell Joe where is he? to go below, too, and have a mug-up for himself. He must be soaked through taking the swash that must've come over her bow for the last hour. But tell him to come right up so's to keep watch out ahead." I didn't go below, however, but standing by the fore-rigging kept an eye out ahead.
Sails were hoisted, the anchor weighed, and the cutter, with the empty skiff in tow, headed for the West, where the sun was already setting in a great glory of gold. The brief warmth of a Northern spring day had passed, and, as they rounded the promontory and the Fleet hove in sight once more, duffle coats and mufflers were donned and a bottle of sloe-gin uncorked. "Mug-up!" cried the Sub.
But he didn't; an' they's nothin' else to it. There sits the ol' man, smoothin' his big red beard, singin', 'I'm Fishin' for the Maid I Loves, while he looks at the poor cook, which was washin' up the dishes, for we was through with the mug-up. An' the devil was in his eyes the devil was fair grinnin' in them little blue eyes.
The cook, sticking his head out of the galley, bawled: "Mug-up! First ta-a-able!" and the first table made a rush below. When the five men sat down it was the first time they had been able to relax since the evening before, when, without lights, and under headsails only, the Charming Lass had stolen out between the reefs of Freekirk Head to sea.
Cards, novels, and all the hot arguments went by the board, and then after a mug-up for nearly all we slid into oil-clothes, boots and sou'westers, and puffing at what was probably to be the last pipeful of the evening, we lay around on lockers and on the floor, backs to the butt of the mast and backs to the stove wherever there was space for a broad back and a pair of stout legs our fellows dropped themselves, discussing all the while the things that interested them fish, fishing, fast vessels, big shares, politics, Bob Fitzsimmons, John L. Sullivan, good stories, and just then particularly, because two of the crew were thinking of marrying, the awful price of real estate in Gloucester.
To the mast-head of a vessel, even on an April night in southern waters, it is cold enough, especially when, like a seiner, she is nearly always by the wind; and Clancy was wrapped up. "I think," said Clancy, as his boot-heels hit the floor, "I'll have a mug-up."
"Tell the boys," said Code, "that what sleepin' they do between here and home will be on their feet, for I want all hands ready to jump to orders. They can mug-up day and night, but let nobody get his boots off." "Ay, ay, sir!" replied Pete involuntarily. This bright-eyed, firm-mouthed skipper was a different being from the cheerful, careless boy he had been familiar with for years.
It was a good-sized school and when we had them all iced and below more than thirty thousand count it was time for all hands to turn in all but the two men on watch of course. I didn't turn in myself, but after a mug-up and pipeful below came on deck again.
At four o'clock or so in the morning the cook stuck his head out of the slit in the forec's'le companionway and spoke his welcome little piece. "Can't have any reg'lar sit-down this morning, boys. Have to leave the china in the becket for a while yet, but all that wants can make a mug-up, and when we get inside if we do in anything like a decent hour we'll have breakfast."
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