W. W. Jacobs
Many Cargoes
A CHANGE OF TREATMENT
Yes, Ive sailed under some cute skippers in my time, said the night-watchman; them that go down in big ships see the wonders o the deep, you know, he added with a sudden chuckle, but the one Im going to tell you about ought never to have been trusted out without is ma. A good many o my skippers had fads, but this one was the worst I ever sailed under.
Its some few years ago now; Id shipped on his barque, the John Elliott, as slow-going an old tub as ever I was aboard of, when I wasnt in quite a fit an proper state to know what I was doing, an I hadnt been in her two days afore I found out his obby through overhearing a few remarks made by the second mate, who came up from dinner in a hurry to make em. I dont mind saws an knives hung round the cabin, he ses to the fust mate, but when a chap has a uman and alongside is plate, studying it while folks is at their food, its more than a Christian man can stand.
Thats nothing, ses the fust mate, who had sailed with the barque afore. Hes half crazy on doctoring. We nearly had a mutiny aboard once owing to his wanting to hold a post-mortem on a man what fell from the mast-head. Wanted to see what the poor feller died of.
I call it unwholesome, ses the second mate very savage. He offered me a pill at breakfast the size of a small marble; quite put me off my feed, it did.
Of course, the skippers fad soon got known forard. But I didnt think much about it, till one day I seed old Danl Dennis sitting on a locker reading. Every now and then hed shut the book, an look up, closing is eyes, an moving his lips like a hen drinking, an then look down at the book again.
Why, Dan, I ses, whats up? you aint larning lessons at your time o life?
Yes, I am, ses Dan very soft. You might hear me say it, its this one about heart disease.
He hands over the book, which was stuck full o all kinds o diseases, and winks at me ard.
Picked it up on a book-stall, he ses; then he shut is eyes an said his piece wonderful. It made me quite queer to listen to im. Thats how I feel, ses he, when hed finished. Just strength enough to get to bed. Lend a hand, Bill, an go an fetch the doctor.
Then I see his little game, but I wasnt going to run any risks, so I just mentioned, permiscous like, to the cook as old Dan seemed rather queer, an went back an tried to borrer the book, being always fond of reading. Old Dan pretended he was too ill to hear what I was saying, an afore I could take it away from him, the skipper comes hurrying down with a bag in his and.
Whats the matter, my man? ses he, whats the matter?
Im all right, sir, ses old Dan, cept that Ive been swoonding away a little.
Tell me exactly how you feel, ses the skipper, feeling his pulse.
Then old Dan said his piece over to him, an the skipper shook his head an looked very solemn.
How long have you been like this? he ses.
Four or five years, sir, ses Dan. It aint nothing serious, sir, is it?
You lie quite still, ses the skipper, putting a little trumpet thing to his chest an then listening. Um! theres serious mischief here Im afraid, the prognotice is very bad.
Prog what, sir? ses Dan, staring.
Prognotice, ses the skipper, at least I think thats the word he said. You keep perfectly still, an Ill go an mix you up a draught, and tell the cook to get some strong beef-tea on.
Well, the skipper ad no sooner gone, than Cornish Harry, a great big lumbering chap o six feet two, goes up to old Dan, an he ses, Gimme that book.
Go away, says Dan, dont come worrying ere; you eard the skipper say how bad my prognotice was.
You lend me the book, ses Harry, ketching hold of him, or else Ill bang you first, and split to the skipper arterwards. I believe Im a bit consumptive. Anyway, Im going to see.
He dragged the book away from the old man, and began to study. There was so many complaints in it he was almost tempted to have something else instead of consumption, but he decided on that at last, an he got a cough what worried the focsle all night long, an the next day, when the skipper came down to see Dan, he could ardly ear hisself speak.
Thats a nasty cough youve got, my man, ses he, looking at Harry.
Oh, its nothing, sir, ses Harry, careless like. Ive ad it for months now off and on. I think its perspiring so of a night does it.
What? ses the skipper. Do you perspire of a night?
Dredful, ses Harry. You could wring the cloes out. I spose its healthy for me, aint it, sir?
Undo your shirt, ses the skipper, going over to him, an sticking the trumpet agin him. Now take a deep breath. Dont cough.
I cant help it, sir, ses Harry, it will come. Seems to tear me to pieces.
You get to bed at once, says the skipper, taking away the trumpet, an shaking his ed. Its a fortunate thing for you, my lad, youre in skilled hands. With care, I believe I can pull you round. How does that medicine suit you, Dan?
Beautiful, sir, says Dan. Its wonderful soothing, I slep like a new-born babe arter it.
Ill send you some more, ses the skipper. Youre not to get up mind, either of you.
All right, sir, ses the two in very faint voices, an the skipper went away arter telling us to be careful not to make a noise.
We all thought it a fine joke at first, but the airs them two chaps give themselves was something sickening. Being in bed all day, they was naturally wakeful of a night, and they used to call across the focsle inquiring arter each others healths, an waking us other chaps up. An theyd swop beef-tea an jellies with each other, an Dan ud try an coax a little port wine out o Harry, which he ad to make blood with, but Harry ud say he hadnt made enough that day, an hed drink to the better health of old Dans prognotice, an smack his lips until it drove us amost crazy to ear him.
Arter these chaps had been ill two days, the other fellers began to put their heads together, being maddened by the smell o beef-tea an the like, an said they was going to be ill too, and both the invalids got into a fearful state of excitement.
Youll only spoil it for all of us, ses Harry, and you dont know what to have without the book.
Its all very well doing your work as well as our own, ses one of the men. Its our turn now. Its time you two got well.
WELL? ses Harry, well? Why you silly iggernerant chaps, we shant never get well, people with our complaints never do. You ought to know that.
Well, I shall split, ses one of them. You do! ses Harry, you do, an Ill put a ed on you that all the port wine and jellies in the world wouldnt cure. Sides, dont you think the skipper knows whats the matter with us?
Afore the other chap could reply, the skipper hisself comes down, accompanied by the fust mate, with a look on his face which made Harry give the deepest and hollowest cough hed ever done.
What they reely want, ses the skipper, turning to the mate, is keerful nussing.
What they reely want, ses the skipper, turning to the mate, is keerful nussing.
I wish youd let me nuss em, ses the fust mate, only ten minutesId put em both on their legs, an running for their lives into the bargain, in ten minutes.
Hold your tongue, sir, ses the skipper; what you say is unfeeling, besides being an insult to me. Do you think I studied medicine all these years without knowing when a mans ill?
The fust mate growled something and went on deck, and the skipper started examining of em again. He said they was wonderfully patient lying in bed so long, an he had em wrapped up in bedcloes and carried on deck, so as the pure air could have a go at em. WE had to do the carrying, an there they sat, breathing the pure air, and looking at the fust mate out of the corners of their eyes. If they wanted anything from below one of us had to go an fetch it, an by the time they was taken down to bed again, we all resolved to be took ill too.
Only two of em did it though, for Harry, who was a powerful, ugly-tempered chap, swore hed do all sorts o dreadful things to us if we didnt keep well and hearty, an all cept these two did. One of em, Mike Rafferty, laid up with a swelling on his ribs, which I knew myself he ad ad for fifteen years, and the other chap had paralysis. I never saw a man so reely happy as the skipper was. He was up an down with his medicines and his instruments all day long, and used to make notes of the cases in a big pocket-book, and read em to the second mate at mealtimes.
The focsle had been turned into hospital about a week, an I was on deck doing some odd job or the other, when the cook comes up to me pulling a face as long as a fiddle.
Nother invalid, ses he; fust mates gone stark, staring mad!
Mad? ses I.
Yes, ses he. Hes got a big basin in the galley, an hes laughing like a hyener an mixing bilge-water an ink, an paraffin an butter an soap an all sorts o things up together. The smells enough to kill a man; Ive had to come away.
Curious-like, I jest walked up to the galley an puts my ed in, an there was the mate as the cook said, smiling all over his face, and ladling some thick sticky stuff into a stone bottle.
Hows the pore sufferers, sir? ses he, stepping out of the galley jest as the skipper was going by.
Theyre very bad; but I hope for the best, ses the skipper, looking at him hard. Im glad to see youve turned a bit more feeling.
Yes, sir, ses the mate. I didnt think so at fust, but I can see now them chaps is all very ill. Youll scuse me saying it, but I dont quite approve of your treatment.
I thought the skipper would ha bust.
My treatment? ses he. My treatment? What do you know about it?
Youre treating em wrong, sir, ses the mate. I have here (patting the jar) a remedy which ud cure them all if youd only let me try it.
Pooh! ses the skipper. One medicine cure all diseases! The old story. What is it? Whered you get it from? ses he.
I brought the ingredients aboard with me, ses the mate. Its a wonderful medicine discovered by my grandmother, an if I might only try it Id thoroughly cure them pore chaps.
Rubbish! ses the skipper.
Very well, sir, ses the mate, shrugging his shoulders. O course, if you wont let me you wont. Still I tell you, if youd let me try Id cure em all in two days. Thats a fair challenge.
Well, they talked, and talked, and talked, until at last the skipper give way and went down below with the mate, and told the chaps they was to take the new medicine for two days, jest to prove the mate was wrong.
Let pore old Dan try it first, sir, ses Harry, starting up, an sniffing as the mate took the cork out; hes been awful bad since youve been away.
Harrys worse than I am, sir, ses Dan; its only his kind heart that makes him say that.
It dont matter which is fust, ses the mate, filling a tablespoon with it, theres plenty for all. Now, Harry.
Take it, ses the skipper.
Harry took it, an the fuss he made youd ha thought he was swallering a football. It stuck all round his mouth, and he carried on so dredful that the other invalids was half sick afore it came to them.
By the time the other three ad ad theirs it was as good as a pantermime, an the mate corked the bottle up, and went an sat down on a locker while they tried to rinse their mouths out with the luxuries which had been given em.
How do you feel? ses the skipper.
Im dying, ses Dan.
Som I, ses Harry; I bleeve the mates pisoned us.
The skipper looks over at the mate very stern an shakes his ed slowly.
Its all right, ses the mate. Its always like that the first dozen or so doses.
Dozen or so doses! ses old Dan, in a far-away voice.
It has to be taken every twenty minutes, ses the mate, pulling out his pipe and lighting it; an the four men groaned all together.
I cant allow it, ses the skipper, I cant allow it. Mens lives mustnt be sacrificed for an experiment.
T aint a experiment, ses the mate very indignant, its an old family medicine.
Well, they shant have any more, ses the skipper firmly.
Look here, ses the mate. If I kill any one o these men Ill give you twenty pound. Honour bright, I will.
Make it twenty-five, ses the skipper, considering.
Very good, ses the mate. Twenty-five; I cant say no fairer than that, can I? Its about time for another dose now.
He gave em another tablespoonful all round as the skipper left, an the chaps what wasnt invalids nearly bust with joy. He wouldnt let em have anything to take the taste out, cos he said it didnt give the medicine a chance, an he told us other chaps to remove the temptation, an you bet we did.
After the fifth dose, the invalids began to get desperate, an when they heard theyd got to be woke up every twenty minutes through the night to take the stuff, they sort o give up. Old Dan said he felt a gentle glow stealing over him and strengthening him, and Harry said that it felt like a healing balm to his lungs. All of em agreed it was a wonderful sort o medicine, an arter the sixth dose the man with paralysis dashed up on deck, and ran up the rigging like a cat. He sat there for hours spitting, an swore hed brain anybody who interrupted him, an arter a little while Mike Rafferty went up and jined him, an it the fust mates ears didnt burn by reason of the things them two pore sufferers said about im, they ought to.
They was all doing full work next day, an though, ocourse, the skipper saw how hed been done, he didnt allude to it. Not in words, that is; but when a man tries to make four chaps do the work of eight, an hits em when they dont, its a easy job to see where the shoe pinches.
A LOVE PASSAGE
The mate was leaning against the side of the schooner, idly watching a few red-coated linesmen lounging on the Tower Quay. Careful mariners were getting out their side-lights, and careless lightermen were progressing by easy bumps from craft to craft on their way up the river. A tug, half burying itself in its own swell, rushed panting by, and a faint scream came from aboard an approaching skiff as it tossed in the wash.