"It's up to the chief engineer."
"Either that fellow goes off this ship or I do. You'll have to hire
another third cook."
The boat was sailing in an hour.
I walked back for my few effects. But, on the way back, I took hold of
myself and determined to stick by my guns. I made up my mind that I
would not leave the boat, and that, at the first hostile move of the
bully I would oppose him--besides, what had the fellow done, so far,
besides chucking a bluff?
My opportunity to live up to my resolve came at mess for supper. There
was a smoking platter of cabbage set before the boys.
"What the hell! Who wants to eat bloody cabbage."
And snatching up a handful of the dripping, greasy vegetable, he was
about to fling it into the face of one of the men opposite, when,
without giving myself a chance to hesitate, I stepped up quickly and
grabbed the "bad man's" wrist. The cabbage went high and spattered all
over the opposite wall.
The bully glared like an enraged bull at me.
"I'll--"
Quaking in my boots, I made my eyes glare level with his.
"Listen to me, bo," I bluffed, "I ain't much on guff, and I don't want
specially to fight ... but I'm waiter in this mess room and you don't
pull anything like this here, unless you do it over my dead body."
"That's just what I will do ... I'll--I'll--" and the chap, pale with
what seemed insane rage, started to his feet.
"Ah, sit down!" I commanded, marvelling at my nerve, and pushing him
violently by the shoulders back on the bench ... then, deliberately, I
turned my back, and walked away, expecting any moment to have him on me
like a clawing wild cat.
With seeming calm and nonchalance I made the kitchen. With a semblance
of outward serenity I picked up a rag and returned to wipe off the wall.
I was vastly relieved to find that the bluff had worked.
The Canuck was finishing his meal in silence.
From that moment till the end of the voyage he was as quiet and
Unobtrusive as anyone could wish him to be....
* * * * *
I have a curious habit of often waking up in the night from deep
slumber, and breaking into laughter over some funny incident or other
that has happened to me a long time ago ... I have chuckled over this
incident many times ... if that bully only knew how terrorised he really
had me!...
* * * * *
It is impossible to describe the Georgian Bay and the beauty of its
thousands of islands ... as we steamed through them in the dawn, they
loomed about us through sun-golden violet mists.... Here as small as the
chine of some swimming animal, there large enough for a small forest of
trees to grow upon them....
* * * * *
Another storm ... on Lake Huron ... a fair-sized one.
I was walking along the deck, just after dawn, the waves riding and
running and shattering aboard. I carried the dinner bell, was ringing it
for breakfast ... when the greatest wave I have ever seen on the Lakes
came running, high-crested, toward the boat,--that seemed to know what
was happening, for it rose to meet it, like a sentient being....
The wave smashed ... hit the galley and washed over the top of it,
catching me in a cataract as I hugged close. I was driven hard against
the taut cable wire that made our only railing. For a moment I thought
the water reaching up from over-side as the vessel lurched would clutch
me and suck me down.
A close and breathless call. A rending, splintering sound told me damage
had been done. I looked toward the captain's cabin ... and laughed
heartily, for all my discomfort and dangerous escape ... for the whole
side of the cabin had been stove in,--and, terrified, his eyes sticking
out, in his dirty underclothes the captain had been hurtled forth, his
face still stupid from sleep though full of fear.