All I can say is I never 'ad enough time or
money to get in the state you was both in when you come aboard."
If the forecastle was incredulous, the cabin was worse. The officers at
first took but little notice of them, but feeling their torn and tattered
appearance was against them, they put on so many airs and graces to
counteract this that flesh and blood could not endure it quietly. The
cook would allude to his friend as Mr. Thomson, while the A. B. would
persist in referring, with a most affected utterance, to Dr. Carson.
"Cook!" bawled the skipper one day when they were about a week out.
Dr. Carson, who was peeling potatoes, stepped slowly out of the galley
and went toward him.
"You say 'Sir,' when you're spoken to," said the skipper, fiercely.
The doctor sneered.
"My --- if you sneer at me, I'll knock your head off!" said the other,
with a wicked look.
"When you get back to Melbourne," said the doctor, quietly, "you'll hear
more of this."
"You're a couple of pickpockets aping the gentleman," said the skipper,
and he turned to the mate. "Mr. Mackenzie, what do these two ragamuffins
look like?"
"Pickpockets," said the mate, dutifully.
"It's a very handy thing," said the old man, jeeringly, "to have a doctor
aboard.
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