Part 17 (1/2)
Meaghan was sitting, presu a newspaper, which was the only kind of ”literature” I ever saw him read His attitude appeared tofirst barked at my approach, he had been busy with the contents of a brass-bound, wooden chest which now lay half under his bunk, in a recess in the far corner
”hello! Thought you reeted ”Saw the boss pull out half an hour ago I'm just sittin' down for my turn at the newspaper They leave me a bundle off the steamer once in a while
This one's from the old country;--the _Liverpool Monitor_ It's two ood as if it was yesterday's or to- it was a single-roo and everything else, it onderfully tidy, although, to say truth, there was little in it after all to occasion untidiness: a stove, a pot, a frying-pan, an enamelled tin teapot, some crockery, a table, an oil lamp, three chairs, the brass-bound trunk, theat-flake boxes and Jake's bed,--with one other addition,--a fifteen-gallon keg with a stopcock in it and set on a wooden stand close to his bunk
An odour of shell-fish pervaded the at from some kind of soup made fro The residue of it still sat in a pot on the stove This, I discovered, was Jake's favourite dish
He rose, took two breakfast cups fro in the corner He filled up both of thee?” he invited, offeringit ht be a cider of soood rye whiskey”
From the odour, I had ascertained this for myself before he spoke
”No, thanks, Jake, I don't drink”
”Holythe cups in his astonish to o batty in the winter time, for it's lonely as hell”
”From all accounts, Jake, hell is not a very lonely place,” I laughed
”Aw!--you knohat I mean,” he put in
”I'll have plenty of work to do in the store; enough to keep oin', it'll be easy's rollin' off'n a log
What'll you do o' nights, 'specially winter nights,--if you don't drink?”
He sat down and began to e, which had been lying sullenly on the floor near the stove, got up and ambled leisurely to Jake's feet It looked up at him as he drank, then it put its two front paws on Jake's knees, as if to attract his attention
Meaghan stopped his i's head
”Well,--well--Mike; and did I forget you?”
He poured a little liquor in a saucer and set it down on the floor before the dog, who lapped it up with all the relish of a seasoned toper Then it put its paws back on Jake's knees, as if asking for more
”No! Mike Nothin' doin' You've had your whack Too ood for your complexion, oldsat down on its haunches between us
”What'll you do o' nights if you don't drink? You ain't toldso moustaches
”Oh!” I replied, ”I'll read, and sometimes I'll sit out and watch the stars and listen to the sea and the wind”
”And what after that?” he queried
”I can always think, when I have nothing else to do”