Part 8 (1/2)

”May be so, Mr Brooke,” returned the captain, ”but your knowledge seems deep and extensive enough to me, for, except in the matter o'

navigation, I haven't myself had much schoolin', but I do like to see a fellow that can use his hands. As I said to my missus, not two days before I left 'er: `Maggie,' says I, `a man that can't turn his hands to anything ain't worth his salt. For why? He's useless at sea, an', by consequence, can't be of much value on land.'”

”Your reasoning is unanswerable,” returned Charlie, with a laugh.

”Not so sure o' that,” rejoined the captain, with a modestly dubious shake of his head; ”leastwise, however unanswerable it may be, my missus always manages to answer it--somehow.”

At that moment one of the sailors came aft to relieve the man-at-the-wheel.

d.i.c.k Darvall was a grave, tall, dark, and handsome man of about five-and-twenty, with a huge black beard, as fine a seaman as one could wish to see standing at a s.h.i.+p's helm, but he limped when he left his post and went forward.

”How's the leg to-day, Darvall!” asked young Brooke, as the man pa.s.sed.

”Better, sir, thankee.”

”That's well. I'll change the dressing in half-an-hour. Don't disturb it till I come.”

”Thankee, sir, I won't.”

”Now then, Raywood,” said Charlie, descending to the cabin, where his patient was already busy reading Maury's _Physical Geography of the Sea_, ”let's have a look at the gum.”

”Oh, it's all right,” said Raywood. ”D'you know, I think one of the uses of severe pain is to make one inexpressibly thankful for the mere absence of it. Of course there is a little sensation of pain left, which might make me growl at other times, but that positively feels comfortable now by contrast!”

”There is profound sagacity in your observations,” returned Charlie, as he gave the gum a squeeze that for a moment or two removed the comfort; ”there, now, don't suck it, else you'll renew the bleeding. Keep your mouth shut.”

With this caution the amateur dentist left the cabin, and proceeded to the fore-part of the vessel. In pa.s.sing the steward's pantry a youthful voice arrested him.

”Oh, please, sir,” said Will Ward, the cabin-boy, advancing with a slate in his hand, ”I _can't_ make out the sum you set me yesterday, an' I'm quite sure I've tried and tried as hard as ever I could to understand it.”

”Let me see,” said his friend, taking the slate and sitting down on a locker. ”Have you read over the rule carefully?”

”Yes, sir, I have, a dozen times at least, but it won't come right,”

answered the boy, with wrinkles enough on his young brow to indicate the very depths of puzzlement.

”Fetch the book, Will, and let's examine it.”

The book was brought, and at his teacher's request the boy read:--

”Add the interest to the princ.i.p.al, and then multiply by--”

”Multiply?” said Charlie, interrupting. ”Look!”

He pointed to the sum on the slate, and repeated ”multiply.”

”Oh!” exclaimed the cabin-boy, with a gasp of relief and wide-open eyes, ”I've _divided_!”

”That's so, Will, and there's a considerable difference between division and multiplication, as you'll find all through life,” remarked the teacher, with a peculiar lift of his eyebrows, as he handed back the slate and went on his way.

More than once in his progress ”for'ard” he was arrested by men who wished hint to give advice, or clear up difficulties in reference to subjects which his encouragement or example had induced them to take up, and to these claims on his attention or a.s.sistance he accorded such a ready and cheerful response that his pupils felt it to be a positive pleasure to appeal to him, though they each professed to regret giving him ”trouble.” The boatswain, who was an amiable though gruff man in his way, expressed pretty well the feelings of the s.h.i.+p's company towards our hero when he said: ”I tell you, mates, I'd sooner be rubbed up the wrong way, an' kicked down the fore hatch by Mr Brooke, than I'd be smoothed or b.u.t.tered by anybody else.”

At last the fo'c'sl was reached, and there our surgeon found his patient, d.i.c.k Darvall, awaiting him. The stout seaman's leg had been severely bruised by a block which had fallen from aloft and struck it during one of the recent gales.