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Updated: May 11, 2025
He indicated with the toe of his sea-boot a crumbling grave which had never been distinguished by a headstone. The grass grew high all over Farlingford churchyard, almost hiding the mounds where the forefathers slept side by side with the nameless "wash-ups," to whom they had extended a last hospitality.
One day when he was out halibut fishing he felt something heavy on the lines. He drew up, and, lo! there was a sea-boot. "That was a rum 'un! " said he, and he sat there a long time looking at it. It looked just as if it might be the boot of his brother who had gone down in the great storm last winter on his way home from fishing.
Having dismounted, they gave their horses to the serving-men and began to make an examination of the ruin, the Abbot leaning on his inferior's arm, for he was in great pain from the blow in the back that Jeffrey had administered with his sea-boot, and the bruises which he had received in falling to the boat.
The fishes had got as much as they could of it out of the leather jacket. Off to the parson he rowed straightway. "What! read the service over a washed-out old leather jacket!" cried the parson of Brönö. "I'll throw the sea-boot into the bargain," answered Isaac. "Waifs and strays and sea salvage should be advertised in the church porch," thundered the parson.
The head disappeared with a bang, and a heavy splash and patter of drops swept past the closed door as if a pailful of melted lead had been flung against the house. A whistling could be heard now upon the deep vibrating noise outside. The stuffy chart-room seemed as full of draughts as a shed. Captain MacWhirr collared the other sea-boot on its violent passage along the floor.
"The Abbot slipped, or the ladder slipped, I know not which," answered Jeffrey gruffly, staring at the toe of his sea-boot. "At least he is safe enough in the boat now," and, turning, he vanished aft into the mist, muttering to himself "A very good kick, though a little high. Yet I wish it had been off another kind of ladder. That murdering rogue would look well with a rope round his neck.
Another declared that he had seen the ship's genius proceed in the same direction and jump overboard cap and all he was no higher than a half sea-boot; and when the genius deserts a ship, it betokens in the sailors' superstitious creed that she is about to founder.
He was sitting on the couch, white-faced, one sea-boot in his hands, and I could have sworn his hands were shaking. That much I saw, and the next moment was out on deck. At first, just emerged from the light, I could see nothing, although I could hear men at the pin-rails and the mate snarling and shouting commands. But I knew the manoeuvre.
"Something bad will come of it," he kept saying. "You mark what I say: something bad will come of it." Then Marah would heave a sea-boot at him, and tell him to hold his jaw; and the old man would mutter over his quid and say that we should see. We loaded our lugger with contraband goods, mostly lace and brandy, an extremely valuable cargo.
Anyhow, there ought to be so much remaining that one can see that a soul has been in it. But to read Holy Scripture over a toe or two in a sea-boot! Oh, no! that would never do!" But Isaac watched his opportunity, and managed to get the sea-boot into the churchyard on the sly, all the same. And home he went. It seemed to him that he had done the best he could.
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