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Updated: June 4, 2025
There was a seaman belonging to the fore-top a mess-mate, though not a top-mate of mine, and no favourite of the Captain's, who, for certain venial transgressions, had been prohibited from going ashore on liberty when the ship's company went.
But what must be the feelings of an American, to see such a cruel operation upon the body of his countryman, of his mess-mate and companion?
"Poor Stoddart's gone, for one!" "Poor fellow, I am sorry," exclaimed the captain with much feeling. "We couldn't have lost a better man, for he was about the best we had on board, poor fellow a good engineer, a good mess-mate, and good at everything he handled, besides being the finest fellow that ever wore shoe leather. How did it happen?"
With suchlike conversation my old mess-mate and I beguiled our long railway journey to Liverpool, which we reached the same evening, but before we had quite exhausted our respective questions and answers respecting everybody we had ever met or known during the time he and I had been to sea together.
The women 'round the room turned red and some of 'em covered their mouths with their handkerchiefs. The men looked glad and set up and took notice. Ebenezer wa'n't in the room which was a mercy but your old mess-mate, Catesby-Stuart, looked solemn as ever and never turned a hair. But as for old lady Granby whew! She got redder'n she was afore, which was a miracle, pretty nigh.
And, at least, my garment was a jacket in name, if not in utility. At length I essayed a "swap." "Here, Bob," said I, assuming all possible suavity, and accosting a mess-mate with a sort of diplomatic assumption of superiority, "suppose I was ready to part with this 'grego' of mine, and take yours in exchange what would you give me to boot?"
Nevertheless, he was a man to study and digest; so, upon a little reflection; I was not displeased at his presence. It amazed me, however, that he had wormed himself into the mess, since so many of the other messes had declined the honour, until at last, I ascertained that he had induced a mess-mate of ours, a distant relation of his, to prevail upon the cook to admit him.
The low groans of the sick were the only sounds to be heard; and as I advanced, some of them rolled upon me their sleepless, silent, tormented eyes. "Fan him, and keep his forehead wet with this sponge," whispered my mess-mate, whom I came to relieve, as I drew near to Shenly's cot, "and wash the foam from his mouth; nothing more can be done for him.
First one foot would strike a hill, then the other would go down into a deep hole, and so on, while lamp-posts and buildings seemed to whirl past and round at a fearful pace. When nearing my quarters I heard a faint "hillo" from a by-street, and a continental mess-mate stumbled almost into my arms.
"Well, you know, there's no great mystery about it. If a bold sailor will go huntin' close to the house, and run down his game right in front of Mr Shank's windows, he must expect to have witnesses. However, give me your flipper, mess-mate, and let me congratulate you, for in my opinion there's not such another dear on all the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
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