Also, he was
surprised to discover that he liked to work, that he took keen
pride in striving to outdo the men who worked with him, and
this spirit, despite the suspicion which the captain entertained
of Billy since the episode of the forecastle, went far
to making his life more endurable on board the Halfmoon,
for workers such as the mucker developed into are not to be
sneezed at, and though he had little idea of subordination
it was worth putting up with something to keep him in condition
to work. It was this line of reasoning that saved
Billy's skull on one or two occasions when his impudence had
been sufficient to have provoked the skipper to a personal
assault upon him under ordinary conditions; and Mr. Ward,
having tasted of Billy's medicine once, had no craving for
another encounter with him that would entail personal conflict.
The entire crew was made up of ruffians and unhung murderers,
but Skipper Simms had had little experience with
seamen of any other ilk, so he handled them roughshod, using
his horny fist, and the short, heavy stick that he habitually
carried, in lieu of argument; but with the exception of Billy
the men all had served before the mast in the past, so that
ship's discipline was to some extent ingrained in them all.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40