"Much better have let me had it my way, sir," said Esau, who, ever since
he had seen the John Dempsters and their treatment of me, had grown to
behave as if I was his superior.
He spoke those words one day when we had been at sea about a week, the
weather having been terribly rough, and the passengers suffering
severely.
"Oh, I don't know, Esau," I said, rather dolefully.
"I do, sir. If you'd done as I wanted you we should ha' been walking
about Woolwich now in uniform, with swords under our arms; and I don't
know how you get on, but I can't walk at all."
"You should catch hold of something."
"Catch hold o' something? What's the good when the ship chucks you
about just as if you were a ball. See that chap over there?"
"What, that one-eyed man?"
"Yes; he was going to hit me just now."
"What for?"
"'Cause I run my head into his chest. I couldn't help it. I'd got my
legs precious wide apart, and was going steadily, when the ship gave a
regular jump and then seemed to wag her tail, and sent me flying, and
when I pollergized to him he said I was always doing it, and ought to
sit down."
"Well, it is safest, Esau," I said; "I've got several nasty bruises."
"Bruises! Why, I'm bruised all over, and haven't got a place left clear
for another, so I've begun again making fresh bruises top of the old
'uns."