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Thenextmorningwhenwewereeatingaveryexcellentbreakfastofkidneysandbacon,preparedbyourgoodcookBumpo,theDoctorsaidtome,
"Iwasjustwondering,Stubbins,whetherIshouldstopattheCapaBlancaIslandsorrunrightacrossforthecoastofBrazil.
Mirandasaidwecouldexpectaspellofexcellentweathernow—forfourandahalfweeksatleast."
"Well,"Isaid,spooningoutthesugaratthebottomofmycocoa-cup,"Ishouldthinkitwouldbebesttomakestraightacrosswhilewearesureofgoodweather.
AndbesidesthePurpleBird-of-Paradiseisgoingtokeepalookoutforus,isn'tshe?
She'llbewonderingwhat'shappenedtousifwedon'tgetthereinaboutamonth."
"True,quitetrue,Stubbins.Ontheotherhand,theCapaBlancasmakeaveryconvenientstoppingplaceonourwayacross.Ifweshouldneedsuppliesorrepairsitwouldbeveryhandytoputinthere."
"HowlongwillittakeusfromheretotheCapaBlancas?"Iasked.
"Aboutsixdays,"saidtheDoctor—"Well,wecandecidelater.
Forthenexttwodaysatanyrateourdirectionwouldbethesamepracticallyineithercase.
Ifyouhavefinishedbreakfastlet'sgoandgetunderway."
UpstairsIfoundourvesselsurroundedbywhiteandgrayseagullswhoflashedandcircledaboutinthesunnymorningair,lookingforfood-scrapsthrownoutbytheshipsintotheharbor.
Byabouthalfpastsevenwehadtheanchorupandthesailssettoanicesteadybreeze;andthistimewegotoutintotheopenseawithoutbumpingintoasinglething.
WemetthePenzancefishingfleetcominginfromthenight'sfishing,andverytrimandneattheylooked,inalinelikesoldiers,withtheirred-brownsailsallleaningoverthesamewayandthewhitewaterdancingbeforetheirbows.
Forthenextthreeorfourdayseverythingwentsmoothlyandnothingunusualhappened.
Duringthistimeweallgotsettleddownintoourregularjobs;andinsparemomentstheDoctorshowedeachofushowtotakeourturnsatthewheel,thepropermannerofkeepingashiponherrightcourse,andwhattodoifthewindchangedsuddenly.
Wedividedthetwenty-fourhoursofthedayintothreespells;andwetookitinturnstosleepoureighthoursandbeawakesixteen.
Sotheshipwaswelllookedafter,withtwoofusalwaysonduty.
Besidesthat,Polynesia,whowasanoldersailorthananyofus,andreallyknewalotaboutrunningships,seemedtobealwaysawake—exceptwhenshetookhercoupleofwinksinthesun,standingononelegbesidethewheel.
YoumaybesurethatnooneevergotachancetostayabedmorethanhiseighthourswhilePolynesiawasaround.
Sheusedtowatchtheship'sclock;andifyouoversleptahalf-minute,shewouldcomedowntothecabinandpeckyougentlyonthenosetillyougotup.
IverysoongrewtobequitefondofourfunnyblackfriendBumpo,withhisgrandwayofspeakingandhisenormousfeetwhichsomeonewasalwayssteppingonorfallingover.
AlthoughhewasmucholderthanIwasandhadbeentocollege,henevertriedtolorditoverme.
Heseemedtobeforeversmilingandkeptallofusingoodhumor.
Itwasn'tlongbeforeIbegantoseetheDoctor'sgoodsenseinbringinghim—inspiteofthefactthatheknewnothingwhateveraboutsailingortravel.
Onthemorningofthefifthdayout,justasIwastakingthewheeloverfromtheDoctor,Bumpoappearedandsaid,
"Thesaltbeefisnearlyallgone,Sir."
"Thesaltbeef!"criedtheDoctor."Why,webroughtahundredandtwentypoundswithus.Wecouldn'thaveeatenthatinfivedays.Whatcanhavebecomeofit?"
"Idon'tknow,Sir,I'msure.EverytimeIgodowntothestoresIfindanotherhunkmissing.Ifitisratsthatareeatingit,thentheyarecertainlycolossalrodents."
Polynesiawhowaswalkingupanddownastay-ropetakinghermorningexercise,putin,
"Wemustsearchthehold.Ifthisisallowedtogoonwewillallbestarvingbeforeaweekisout.Comedownstairswithme,Tommy,andwewilllookintothismatter."
Sowewentdownstairsintothestore-roomandPolynesiatoldustokeepquitestillandlisten.Thiswedid.
Andpresentlyweheardfromadarkcorneroftheholdthedistinctsoundofsomeonesnoring.
"Ah,Ithoughtso,"saidPolynesia."It'saman—andabigone.
Climbinthere,bothofyou,andhaulhimout.
Itsoundsasthoughhewerebehindthatbarrel—Gosh!
WeseemtohavebroughthalfofPuddlebywithus.
Anyonewouldthinkwewereapennyferry-boat.Suchcheek!Haulhimout."
SoBumpoandIlitalanternandclimbedoverthestores.Andthere,behindthebarrel,sureenough,wefoundanenormousbeardedmanfastasleepwithawell-fedlookonhisface.Wewokehimup.
"Washamarrer?"hesaidsleepily.
ItwasBenButcher,theableseaman.
Polynesiasplutteredlikeanangryfire-cracker.
"Thisisthelaststraw,"saidshe."Theonemanintheworldweleastwanted.Shivermytimbers,whatcheek!"
"Woulditnotbeadvisable,"suggestedBumpo,"whilethevarletisstillsleepy,tostrikehimontheheadwithsomeheavyobjectandpushhimthroughaport-holeintothesea?"
"No.We'dgetintotrouble,"saidPolynesia.
"We'renotinJolliginkinow,youknow—worseluck!
—Besides,thereneverwasaport-holebigenoughtopushthatmanthrough.BringhimupstairstotheDoctor."
SoweledthemantothewheelwhereherespectfullytouchedhiscaptotheDoctor.
"Anotherstowaway,Sir,"saidBumposmartly.IthoughtthepoorDoctorwouldhaveafit.
"Goodmorning,Captain,"saidtheman."BenButcher,ableseaman,atyourservice.
Iknewyou'dneedme,soItookthelibertyofstowingaway—muchagainstmyconscience.
ButIjustcouldn'tbeartoseeyoupoorlandsmensetoutonthisvoyagewithoutasinglerealseamantohelpyou.
You'dneverhavegothomealiveifIhadn'tcome—Whylookatyourmainsail,Sir—alllooseatthethroat.
Firstgustofwindcomealong,andawaygoesyourcanvasoverboard—Well,it'sallrightnowI'mhere.We'llsoongetthingsinshipshape."
"No,itisn'tallright,"saidtheDoctor,"it'sallwrong.AndI'mnotatallgladtoseeyou.ItoldyouinPuddlebyIdidn'twantyou.Youhadnorighttocome."
"ButCaptain,"saidtheableseaman,"youcan'tsailthisshipwithoutme.Youdon'tunderstandnavigation.
Why,lookatthecompassnow:you'veletherswingapointandahalfoffhercourse.
It'smadnessforyoutotrytodothistripalone—ifyou'llpardonmysayingso,Sir.Why—why,you'lllosetheship!"
"Lookhere,"saidtheDoctor,asuddensternlookcomingintohiseyes,"losingashipisnothingtome.
I'velostshipsbeforeanditdoesn'tbothermeintheleast.
WhenIsetouttogotoaplace,Igetthere.Doyouunderstand?
Imayknownothingwhateveraboutsailingandnavigation,butIgettherejustthesame.
Nowyoumaybethebestseamanintheworld,butonthisshipyou'rejustaplainordinarynuisance—veryplainandveryordinary.
AndIamnowgoingtocallatthenearestportandputyouashore."
"Yes,andthinkyourselflucky,"Polynesiaputin,"thatyouarenotlockedupforstowingawayandeatingalloursaltbeef."
"Idon'tknowwhatthemischiefwe'regoingtodonow,"IheardherwhispertoBumpo."We'venomoneytobuyanymore;andthatsaltbeefwasthemostimportantpartofthestores."
"Woulditnotbegoodpoliticaleconomy,"Bumpowhisperedback,"ifwesaltedtheableseamanandatehiminstead?Ishouldjudgethathewouldweighmorethanahundredandtwentypounds."
"HowoftenmustItellyouthatwearenotinJolliginki,"snappedPolynesia.
"Thosethingsarenotdoneonwhitemen'sships—Still,"shemurmuredafteramoment'sthought,"it'sanawfullybrightidea.
Idon'tsupposeanybodysawhimcomeontotheship—Oh,butHeavens!wehaven'tgotenoughsalt.
Besides,he'dbesuretotasteoftobacco."
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