The Argosy — page 66: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

258 THE ARGOSY. y nee Se At first I thought the man resented my tnwarrantable intrusion, but a moment's reflection convinced me to the contrary. Your ordinary tramp skipper is, as a rule, only too proud to catry passengers. They add to his dignity, and fill him with a delightful sense of his own importance, ‘‘ I should be very pleased to take you, Mr. Ravensford,’’ he began, in a dry voice—a voice that seemed to rake the words along his throat—‘“‘ but I really have no proper accommodation aft. You see, we are only a tramp— a common little body that never soars so high as first class passengers. ”’ ‘Oh,’ I laughed, though I caught the sneer well enough, ‘“‘I dare say we shall manage very well. It is absolutely necessary that I should go by the first ship.”’ Favoring me with another.of his quick, curious glances, he fidgeted one hand in his pocket, then the other, shuffled his feet about in an uncertain fashion, and then sank into his chair. As he did so his eyes sought those of the black bearded gentleman on his right, and though it was but a momentary flash, it set me thinking. ‘True, I should be very proud to sail in your company,’ he continued, in his dry, sing song fashion, which was half a sneer, ‘‘ for you may be sure I have little congenial companionship on a boat like this. But the fact is, we were not built for passengers, and to say that I could make you comfortable would be to inveigle you on board under false pretenses. ’’ ‘You are much too scrupulous, Captain Macshiel. While I admire your honesty asa man, I do not approve of your discretion as a trader. I assure you it was not by cultivating such an extremely fine sense of justice that Messrs. Latheson built up their princely house.’’ ‘* Well,’’ he muttered, a smile of much meaning playing round his mouth, ‘‘I have no wish to sail under false colors ;'’ and he looked at big blackbeard as if for approval. But that worthy never opened his mouth. He only “nodded his big head solemnly and smiled with his eyes. I knew well enough the man didn’t want me, though why I could not imagine, as my presence on board could scarcely have increased his responsi- bility or affected him in any way. But I had made up my mind to go, and I let him know as much in no uncertain manner ; though an exhaustive apology for my seeming perversity naturally accompanied the declaration. Any accommodation would do for me—I *aad been accustomed to roughing it. He would find me a most exemplary passenger. He hummed and ha’ed and beat sundry inconsequent tattoos upon the table, gave me to understand that his ship was one of the most unpleasant on the coast, that she couldn’t steam - above ten knots, and that he frequently feared the first serious gale she encountered would send her to the bottom. Now, all this was so much at variance with the usnal boasting of the master mariner, who, asa rule, is intensely loyal to his command, that I was at a loss to comprehend it; and had it not been necessary that I should get away, I would not have forced my objectionable presence upon this piece of nautical fastidiousness. But I was not ina position to accept a rebuff, and so I let him see. Eomichook