Page:Morley roberts--Blue Peter--sea yarns.djvu/97

Rh He walked aft, looked at the compass, stared over the taffrail at the wake, looked aloft to see if the gaff topsail, which was an ill-cut and ill-conditioned sail, was in decent shape, and then whistled. Being right aft he did not see a short, dark man come from the fo'c'sle and stagger along the main-deck. But Eales and Corlett saw him and left the rest of the starboard watch, who were yarning quietly on the spare topmast lashed under the rail.

"’E's come to," said Eales. "Holy sailor, this is a game!"

Bill Juggins, A.B., laid hold of a belaying pin in the fife rail of the main-mast, and swayed to and fro like a wet swab in a cross sea.

"Where am I?" said Bill Juggins. "This is a nightmare. I want to wake."

He held tight and pondered. But his brain reeled.

"I have no beard," said the new seaman; "I'm clean shaved. My hair's that short I can't catch hold of it. These ain't my clothes. I can't stand straight. But if this ain't my ship I'm mad."

"D'ye 'ear the pore devil?" asked Jack. "I 'ears," said Corlett. "If 'e 'adn't told