Копи царя Соломона

           Well,toreturn,Iprovedrightagain; Iascertainedthatthedarkmanwasanavalofficer,alieutenantofthirty-one,who,afterseventeenyears’service,hadbeenturnedoutofherMajesty’semploywiththebarrenhonourofacommander’srank,becauseitwasimpossiblethatheshouldbepromoted. ThisiswhatpeoplewhoservetheQueenhavetoexpect: tobeshotoutintothecoldworldtofindalivingjustwhentheyarebeginningreallytounderstandtheirwork,andtoreachtheprimeoflife. Isupposetheydon’tmindit,butformyownpartIhadratherearnmybreadasahunter. One’shalfpenceareasscarceperhaps,butyoudonotgetsomanykicks. 

           Theofficer’snameIfoundout—byreferringtothepassengers’lists—wasGood—CaptainJohnGood. Hewasbroad,ofmediumheight,dark,stout,andratheracuriousmantolookat. Hewassoveryneatandsoveryclean-shaved,andhealwaysworeaneye-glassinhisrighteye. Itseemedtogrowthere,forithadnostring,andhenevertookitoutexcepttowipeit. AtfirstIthoughtheusedtosleepinit,butafterwardsIfoundthatthiswasamistake. Heputitinhistrouserspocketwhenhewenttobed,togetherwithhisfalseteeth,ofwhichhehadtwobeautifulsetsthat,myownbeingnoneofthebest,haveoftencausedmetobreakthetenthcommandment. ButIamanticipating. 

           Soonafterwehadgotunderwayeveningclosedin,andbroughtwithitverydirtyweather. Akeenbreezesprungupoffland,andakindofaggravatedScotchmistsoondroveeverybodyfromthedeck. AsfortheDunkeld,sheisaflat-bottomedpunt,andgoinguplightasshewas,sherolledveryheavily. Italmostseemedasthoughshewouldgorightover,butsheneverdid. Itwasquiteimpossibletowalkabout,soIstoodneartheengineswhereitwaswarm,andamusedmyselfwithwatchingthependulum, whichwasfixedoppositetome,swingingslowlybackwardsandforwardsasthevesselrolled,andmarkingtheangleshetouchedateachlurch.