The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Skipper's Wooing, and The Brown Man's
Servant, by W. W. Jacobs

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Title: The Skipper's Wooing, and The Brown Man's Servant

Author: W. W. Jacobs

Release Date: May 5, 2007 [EBook #21336]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SKIPPERS WOOING ***

Produced by David Widger

THE SKIPPER'S WOOING

AND

THE BROWN MAN'S SERVANT

By W. W. Jacobs

[Illustration: Cover.jpg]

Copyright, 1897, By FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

TO MY FATHER WILLIAM GAGE JACOBS

[Illustration: Titlepage.jpg]

THE SKIPPER'S WOOING

CHAPTER I.

The schooner _Seamew_, of London, Captain Wilson master and owner, had
just finished loading at Northfleet with cement for Brittlesea. Every
inch of space was packed. Cement, exuded from the cracks, imparted
to the hairy faces of honest seamen a ghastly appearance sadly out of
keeping with their characters, and even took its place, disguised as
thickening, among the multiple ingredients of a sea-pie that was cooking
for dinner.

It was not until the decks were washed and the little schooner was once
more presentable that the mate gave a thought to his own toilet. It was
a fine, warm morning in May, and some of the cargo had got into his
hair and settled in streaks on his hot, good-humored face. The boy had
brought aft a wooden bucket filled with fair water, and placed upon
the hatch by its side a piece of yellow soap and a towel. Upon these
preparations the mate smiled pleasantly, and throwing off his shirt and
girding his loins with his braces, he bent over and with much zestful
splashing began his ablutions.

Twice did the ministering angel, who was not of an age to be in any
great concern about his own toilet, change the water before the mate
was satisfied; after which the latter, his face and neck aglow with
friction, descended to the cabin for a change of raiment.

He did not appear on deck again until after dinner, which, in the
absence of the skipper, he ate alone. The men, who had also dined, were
lounging forward, smoking, and the mate, having filled his own pipe, sat
down by himself and smoked in silence.