“This is treacle,” I said—­“twenty pounds of treacle.”

“My Goodness,” he sighed, turning away sadly.  “That makes me feel more like going with you than ever—­But my rheumatism is that bad I can’t hardly—­”

I didn’t hear any more for Matthew had moved off, still mumbling, into the crowd that stood about the wharf.  The clock in Puddleby Church struck noon and I turned back, feeling very busy and important, to the task of loading.

But it wasn’t very long before some one else came along and interrupted my work.  This was a huge, big, burly man with a red beard and tattoo-marks all over his arms.  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, spat twice on to the river-wall and said,

“Boy, where’s the skipper?”

“The skipper!—­Who do you mean?” I asked.

“The captain—­Where’s the captain, of this craft?” he said, pointing to the Curlew.

“Oh, you mean the Doctor,” said I.  “Well, he isn’t here at present.”

At that moment the Doctor arrived with his arms full of note-books and butterfly-nets and glass cases and other natural history things.  The big man went up to him, respectfully touching his cap.

“Good morning, Captain,” said he.  “I heard you was in need of hands for a voyage.  My name’s Ben Butcher, able seaman.”

“I am very glad to know you,” said the Doctor.  “But I’m afraid I shan’t be able to take on any more crew.”

“Why, but Captain,” said the able seaman, “you surely ain’t going to face deep-sea weather with nothing more than this bit of a lad to help you—­ and with a cutter that big!”

The Doctor assured him that he was; but the man didn’t go away.  He hung around and argued.  He told us he had known of many ships being sunk through “undermanning.”  He got out what he called his stiffikit—­a paper which said what a good sailor he was—­ and implored us, if we valued our lives, to take him.

But the Doctor was quite firm-polite but determined—­and finally the man walked sorrowfully away, telling us he never expected to see us alive again.

Callers of one sort and another kept us quite busy that morning.  The Doctor had no sooner gone below to stow away his note-books than another visitor appeared upon the gang-plank.  This was a most extraordinary-looking black man.  The only other negroes I had seen had been in circuses, where they wore feathers and bone necklaces and things like that.  But this one was dressed in a fashionable frock coat with an enormous bright red cravat.  On his head was a straw hat with a gay band; and over this he held a large green umbrella.  He was very smart in every respect except his feet.  He wore no shoes or socks.

“Pardon me,” said he, bowing elegantly, “but is this the ship of the physician Dolittle?”

“Yes,” I said, “did you wish to see him?”

“I did—­if it will not be discommodious,” he answered.