He made little of the
case, had the man brought aft to the dispensary, dosed him, and sent
him forward to his bunk. Two of his neighbours in the steerage had
now come to our assistance, expressing loud sorrow that such 'a fine
cheery body' should be sick; and these, claiming a sort of
possession, took him entirely under their own care. The drug had
probably relieved him, for he struggled no more, and was led along
plaintive and patient, but protesting. His heart recoiled at the
thought of the steerage. 'O let me lie down upon the bieldy side,'
he cried; 'O dinna take me down!' And again: 'O why did ever I come
upon this miserable voyage?' And yet once more, with a gasp and a
wailing prolongation of the fourth word: 'I had no CALL to come.'
But there he was; and by the doctor's orders and the kind force of
his two shipmates disappeared down the companion of Steerage No.1
into the den allotted him.
At the foot of our own companion, just where I found Blackwood, Jones
and the bo's'un were now engaged in talk. This last was a gruff,
cruel-looking seaman, who must have passed near half a century upon
the seas; square-headed, goat-bearded, with heavy blond eyebrows, and
an eye without radiance, but inflexibly steady and hard.
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