"Glad to see your majesty on board my ship. You're welcome to come aft
and look out for any of those whose acquaintance you have not before
made."
On this the whole gang came tramping aft. Mark and I saw that their
eyes were fixed upon us. We had no place to fly to but up the mizen
rigging. We made the attempt, but were quickly caught by some of the
monsters, who managed to climb up in spite of their tails.
The barber had in the meantime placed a huge tub on the deck, and a
couple of small casks. On these we were compelled to sit down, when he
immediately with a paint-brush began to daub our faces over with the
contents of a bucket of grease. He then drew out his razor, and scraped
us in the most cruel fashion, taking off the skin at every stroke.
The doctor in the meanwhile, with mock solemnity, felt our pulses, and
then observing that we were terribly sick, crammed one of the boluses
out of his box into our mouths, and forced it down with his tarry
finger.
"A bath would do them good," he growled out.
We were seized, and soused head over heels in a tub till we were
well-nigh drowned. In vain we struggled and shrieked. Every time we
opened our mouths the barber shoved his brush into them, and the
monsters then ducked our heads under water to wash them out, as they
said.
More dead than alive we were at last allowed to go, but had scarcely
strength left to crawl away.
Tom Trivett was next dragged aft, though he declared that he had often
crossed the line. Daddy Neptune refused, however, to believe him,
protesting that he had never seen his face in those parts before.
Though he fought bravely he was overpowered, and was even worse treated
than we had been, the monsters, aided by the doctor and barber and Mrs
Neptune, holding his arms and legs.
The captain and officers all the time in no way interfered, but seemed
to enjoy the cruel sport. They wished, indeed, to allow the sailors to
take their full fling according to their barbarous fancies.
Mark and I, seeing how our friend was treated, attempted to go to his
rescue, but we had better have remained quiet, both for his sake and our
own, for we were cuffed and kicked even worse than before, and with
difficulty again made our escape.
A double allowance of grog was served out, which made the men even more
savage than before; and when they were tired of ill-treating us they
took to rough play among themselves. Daddy Neptune's crown was torn
off, his sceptre broken in two, his wife was despoiled of her finery;
the doctor's hat and spectacles shared the same fate; he was made to
swallow his own pills, and the barber had his brush nearly shoved down
his throat.
They would have come to serious blows had not the captain ordered them
to knock off and return to their duty. The mates, with boats'
stretchers in their hands, had to rush in among them before they could
be induced to desist. Not until a breeze sprang up, and they were
ordered aloft to make sail, were they brought into anything like order.
For days afterwards Mark and I limped about the deck, with aching heads
and sore faces, and Tom Trivett could with difficulty get through his
duty.
This relaxation of discipline had no good effect on the men. They still
grumbled and growled as much as ever at every meal over the food served
out to them.