SEA COMEDIES
BY
MORLEY ROBERTS
AUTHOR OF "THE PROMOTION OF THE ADMIRAL"
"CAPTAIN BALAAM OF THE 'CORMORANT'" ETC.
LONDON
EVELEIGH NASH
1906
INSCRIBED AFFECTIONATELY
TO
MY FATHER
CONTENTS
I. THE EXTRA HANDS OF THE NEMESIS
II. THE STRANGE SITUATION OF CAPTAIN BROGGER
IV. THE REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF THE REV. T. RUDDLE
V. THE CAPTAIN OF THE ULLSWATER
The steamship Nemesis, of two thousand fivehundred and fifty tons register, and belongingto the port of London, had nearly finished herloading one foggy afternoon in a foggy November.She was at Tilbury, taking in a general cargofor Capetown and Australian ports, and as thelast few cases were coming on board the skippercame on board too by way of the big gangway,close by which the second mate was standing.
"Is that the last of it?" asked the 'old man'gloomily.
"Yes, sir," said Mr. Cade with equal gloominess.When a man is second mate at the ageof fifty it is not surprising that he should be sulky.
"And it is time it was, for we're well down toour mark, and no mistake about it, sir."
Captain Jordan said nothing, but walkedfor'ard to his cabin and sat down wearily. Hethrew a bundle of papers on his table, and fillinghis pipe smoked for a few minutes. He was afine handsome white-headed man of some fifty-twoyears, and had once been ambitious. Nowhe worked for Messrs. Gruddle, Shody, & Co.,and, as all seamen knew, to work for them wasto have lost all chances that following the seaaffords even in these days.
"The swine," said old Jordan to himself, "oh,the swine that they are! I wish I could geteven with them. If I could do that I could diehappy. They are charitable, are they? Cursetheir charity! Ah, if I hadn't been so unluckyin my last employ."
But that was it. He had been in the employof a good firm with one bitterly unjust regulation.Any skipper of theirs who lost a ship, eventhrough no fault of his own, had to go, and,though he had worked for them for twentyyears, that was his fate when he piled up theGrimshaw Hall on the Manacles.
"And that's how they got me cheap," saidJordan. "And because poor Cade lost his master'scertificate through an error of judgment theyhave him cheap, and they have my old chumThripp cheap in the same way. Oh, they area precious lot of swine, and I wish I had 'emhere with me when we are out at sea. I'd tell'em what I think of 'em, if I got the sack rightoff and had to ship before the mast."
Thripp the mate came by the cabin, and theskipper called to him.
"Yes, sir," said Thripp.
"Come in a moment," said Jordan. "I'vesomething to tell you, something that will cheeryou up and make you like the firm better thanever."
Thripp was also as grey as a badger, but notthrough age. He, too, had been a master mariner,and had lost his first and only command byrunning her against an iceberg in a fog. Hehad had orders to make a passage at all costs,but those orders were verbal, and his ownersshowed