you could straighten his eyes; arn't you
Neb?"

"Dunno," growled the man.

"Then it's a good job for you as I do, mate. Ay, the skipper did give
Master Jarette a floorer, and I'm sorry for it."

"Why," I said, "if he deserved it?"

"Well, you see, sir, it's like this; if me or Neb or Barney there had
scared one of the officers, and the skipper had knocked us down, why, we
shouldn't ha' liked it--eh, mates?"

"No," came in a growl.

"Course not; but then we're Englishmen, and knowing as we was in the
wrong, why, next day we should have forgot all about it."

"Ay, ay," growled Dumlow, and Barney nodded his acquiescence.

"But strikes me, sir--you needn't tell the skipper I says so, because
p'r'aps I'm wrong--strikes me as that chap won't forget it, and I should
be sorry for there to be any more rows with ladies on board, 'cause they
don't like it. But I say, sir!"

"Yes, Hampton," I replied.

"I thought as Mr Walters as had been to sea afore was going to put you
through it all. When's he going to show on deck?"

"Oh, he'll come up as soon as he's well enough," I said.

"If I was skipper, he'd be well enough now," said the sailor, roughly.
"More you gives way to being sea-sick, more you may. I don't say as
it's nice, far from it; but if a man shows fight, he soon gets too many
for it. Here's him been a voyage, and you arn't. He lies below, below,
below in his bunk, and you goes about just as if you was at home."

"Because I haven't been ill," I said, laughing.

"No, sir, you arn't; but if I was you, I'd soon go down and cure him."

"How?" I said, expecting to hear of some good old remedy.

"Physic, sir."

"Yes, what physic?" I said.

"Bucket o' water, sir,--take a hair o' the dog as bit you, as the Scotch
chaps say,--fresh dipped."

"Rubbish, Bob Hampton; how could he drink a bucket of salt water?"

"Who said anything about drinking it, sir? I meant as lotion, `Outward
application only,' as Mr Frewen puts on his bottles o' stuff
sometimes."

"What! bathe him with salt water?"

"Yes, sir, on'y we calls it dowsin'. Sharp and sudden like. Furst
dollop fails, give him another, and keep it up till he walks on deck to
get dry; then call me to swab up the cabin, and he's all right."

"I'll tell Mr Walters what you say, Hampton."

"No, sir, I wouldn't do that; 'cause if you do, he'll have his knife
into me. I on'y meant it as good advice. He on'y wants rousin' up.
Why, if you was to set