I could have fallen at the man's feet for those few kind words, but his
alert step had carried him far away; and the boatswain had gripped me by
the arm, and landed me on a seat, before I could think of how to express
my thanks.

"Stay where ye are, young stowaway," said he, "and I'll fetch the oil
and things. But don't fall overboard; for we can't afford to send a
hexpedition on a voyage of discovery harter ye."

Off went the boatswain, and by the time he came back with a bundle of
brass rods under his arm, and an old sardine-tin full of a mixture of
oil, vinegar, and sand, and a saturated fragment of a worn-out worsted
sock, I had more or less recovered from a violent attack of sickness,
and was trying to keep my teeth from being chattered out of my aching
head in the fit of shivering that succeeded it.

"Now, my pea-green beauty!" said he, "pull yourself together, and bear a
hand with this tackle. I'll carry the stanchions for you." I jumped up,
thanked him, and took the oil-tin and etceteras, feeling very grateful
that he did carry the heavy brass rods for me on to the poop, where I
scrambled after him, and after a short lesson in an art the secret of
which appeared to be to rub hard enough and long enough, he left me with
the pointed hint that the more I did within the next hour or two, the
better it would be for me. "And _wicee the worser_--hif ye learnt what
_that_ means when ye wos at school," he added.

Fully determined to do my best, I rubbed for the dear life, my bones and
teeth still shuddering as I did so; but whatever virtue there was in my
efforts was soon its own reward, for the vigorous use of my arms began
to warm me, so greatly to the relief of my headache and general misery,