fellow,
I'll trouble you not to come the dude over me. You're insolent, that's
what's wrong with you. Don't you crowd me, Mr Herrick, Esquire.'

Herrick tore up his papers, threw them on the floor, and left the cabin.

'He's turned a bloomin' swot, ain't he?' sneered Huish.

'He thinks himself too good for his company, that's what ails Herrick,
Esquire,' raged the captain. 'He thinks I don't understand when he comes
the heavy swell. Won't sit down with us, won't he? won't say a civil
word? I'll serve the son of a gun as he deserves. By God, Huish, I'll
show him whether he's too good for John Davis!'

'Easy with the names, cap',' said Huish, who was always the more sober.
'Easy over the stones, my boy!'

'All right, I will. You're a good sort, Huish. I didn't take to you at
first, but I guess you're right enough. Let's open another bottle,'
said the captain; and that day, perhaps because he was excited by the
quarrel, he drank more recklessly, and by four o'clock was stretched
insensible upon the locker.

Herrick and Huish supped alone, one after the other, opposite his
flushed and snorting body. And if the sight killed Herrick's hunger, the
isolation weighed so heavily on the clerk's spirit, that he was scarce
risen from table ere he was currying favour with his former comrade.

Herrick was at the wheel when he approached, and Huish leaned
confidentially across the binnacle.

'I say, old chappie,' he said, 'you and me don't seem to be such pals
somehow.'

Herrick gave her a spoke or two in silence; his eye, as it skirted
from the needle to the luff of the foresail, passed the man by without
speculation. But Huish was really dull, a thing he could support with
difficulty, having no resources of his own. The idea of a private talk
with Herrick, at this stage of their relations, held out particular
inducements to a person of his character. Drink besides, as it renders
some men hyper-sensitive, made Huish callous. And it would almost have
required a blow to make him quit his purpose.

'Pretty business, ain't it?' he continued; 'Dyvis on the lush? Must say
I thought you gave it 'im A1 today. He didn't like it a bit; took on
hawful after you were gone.--"'Ere," says I, "'old on, easy on the
lush," I says. "'Errick was right, and you know it. Give 'im a chanst,"
I says.--"Uish," sezee, "don't you gimme no more of your jaw, or I'll
knock your bloomin' eyes out." Well, wot can I do, 'Errick? But I tell
you, I don't