Nautical Fare
square-riggers, and knew a great deal about them. I called him "matey," and we had a grand time together. Once I had asked him if he wouldn't like me to go with him back to Nova Scotia. I told him I would wash dishes for him. He replied: "Yes, you could help me a lot." For the matter of that, I had even asked the captain—in joke, of course—if he wouldn't like me to sail back with him, and I had told him too that I was willing to wash dishes to earn my passage. Said he: "You wouldn't have to wash dishes to go with me!" The cook is very amusing. Right off, then, I had a feeling—a doubtful, vague feeling—that all was not quite right between the cook and the skipper. For the cook, seeing company arrive, was in the process of changing the tablecloth, which was rather begrimed. The captain said: "Oh, don't bother about that, steward—that's all right." Then said the cook very violently: "Tain't neither! 'S dirty!" And he yanked it off with one good snatch .
Down we sat, the three of us, to a delightful meal of cold fat ham, boiled potatoes mixed up with corned beef and a kind of greasy gravy, very tough ship's bread, canned pears, and very strong black tea. It was coarse grub—there is no denying it—yet, in the excitement of the moment, it seemed to make everything more romantic and adventurous. I tackled the bread with the determination of one possessed;
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