"Dear me!" said the Doctor. "What a nuisance! Stubbins, go down
with Bumpo and bring the man up. I can't leave the wheel just
now."

So Bumpo and I went down into the hold; and there, behind the
flour-bags, plastered in flour from head to foot, we found a man.
After we had swept most of the flour off him with a broom, we
discovered that it was Matthew Mugg. We hauled him upstairs
sneezing and took him before the Doctor.

"Why Matthew!" said John Dolittle. "What on earth are you doing
here?"

"The temptation was too much for me, Doctor," said the
cat's-meat-man. "You know I've often asked you to take me on
voyages with you and you never would. Well, this time, knowing
that you needed an extra man, I thought if I stayed hid till the
ship was well at sea you would find I came in handy like and keep
me. But I had to lie so doubled up, for hours, behind them
flour-bags, that my rheumatism came on something awful. I just
had to change my position; and of course just as I stretched out
my legs along comes this here African cook of yours and sees my
feet sticking out--Don't this ship roll something awful! How long
has this storm been going on? I reckon this damp sea air
wouldn't be very good for my rheumatics."

"No, Matthew it really isn't. You ought not to have come. You are
not in any way suited to this kind of a life. I'm sure you
wouldn't enjoy a long voyage a bit. We'll stop in at Penzance
and put you ashore. Bumpo, please go downstairs to my bunk; and