Part 35 (1/2)
”Make a nice change for the table, sir. The cook said--”
”Hang the cook!” cried the officer angrily. ”What are you laughing at?”
”Only smiling, sir.”
”And pray what at? Is there anything peculiar in my face?”
”No, sir,” said Murray merrily. ”I was only thinking of the consequences if we two obeyed your orders.”
”Orders! I gave no orders.”
”You said, hang the cook, sir,” said Murray.
”Rubbis.h.!.+ Absurd! There, I told you both to be off. I'm not going to give you leave to play idle boys. If you want leave, there's the captain yonder; go and ask him.”
”He'd only say, sir, why didn't we ask leave of you.”
”And very proper too,” said the first lieutenant, ”and if he does say so you can tell him I would not give you leave because I thought it waste of time for young men who want to rise in their profession. What was that you muttered, Mr Murray?”
”I only said to myself, sir, 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'”
”Yes; very true, my lad,” said the officer, with a grim smile. ”I'm not unreasonable, and I'd give you leave; but perhaps you had better ask your chief.”
”Thank you, sir,” said Murray.
”And look here, Murray; if you get permission, be careful. I don't want the routine of the s.h.i.+p to be interfered with and my men set hovering about to pick up a couple of useless idlers, and every one upset by the cry of a man overboard--I mean, a boy.”
”I'll try not to be that boy,” said Murray, smiling; and the chief officer gave him a friendly nod and walked forward.
”Bah!” grumbled Roberts. ”There's favouritism.”
”Nonsense!”
”'Tisn't. He always favours you.”
”Not he.”
”To turn upon us like that just because it's almost a calm! A growling old snarly! I never saw such a temper. Now he has gone forward to set the men to do something that doesn't want doing.”
”He's a bit out of temper this morning because the skipper has been at him about something.”
”Yes; I heard him at it. Nice pair they are, and a pretty life they lead the men!”
”Oh, well, never mind that. Tom May has got the grains and the line ready, and I want to begin.”
”A boy! Apeing a man, and all that stuff!” muttered Roberts. ”I suppose he never was a boy in his life.”
”Oh, wasn't he! There, never mind all that.”
”But I do mind it, sir,” said Roberts haughtily, as he involuntarily began to pa.s.s his fingers over the spot just beneath his temples where the whisker down was singed. ”I consider that his words were a perfect insult.”