I UNCLENCH MY HANDS

From the first the captain disclaimed responsibility for me.  I was housed in the forecastle, and ate with the men.  There, however, my connection with the crew and the navigation of the ship ended.  Perhaps it was as well, although I resented it at first.  I was weaker than I had thought, and dizzy at the mere thought of going aloft.

As a matter of fact, I found myself a sort of deck-steward, given the responsibility of looking after the shuffle-board and other deck games, the steamer-rugs, the cards,—­for they played bridge steadily,—­and answerable to George Williams, the colored butler, for the various liquors served on deck.

The work was easy, and the situation rather amused me.  After an effort or two to bully me, one of which resulted in my holding him over the rail until he turned gray with fright, Williams treated me as an equal, which was gratifying.

The weather was good, the food fair.  I had no reason to repent my bargain.  Of the sailing qualities of the Ella there could be no question.  The crew, selected by Captain Richardson from the best men of the Turner line, knew their business, and, especially after the Williams incident, made me one of themselves.  Barring the odor of formaldehyde in the forecastle, which drove me to sleeping on deck for a night or two, everything was going smoothly, at least on the surface.

Smoothly as far as the crew was concerned.  I was not so sure about the after house.

As I have said, owing to the small size, of the vessel, and the fact that considerable of the space had been used for baths, there were, besides the family, only two guests, a Mrs. Johns, a divorcee, and a Mr. Vail.  Mrs. Turner and Miss Lee shared the services of a maid, Karen Hansen, who, with a stewardess, Henrietta Sloane, occupied a double cabin.  Vail had a small room, as had Turner, with a bath between which they used in common.  Mrs. Turner’s room was a large one, with its own bath, into which Elsa Lee’s room also opened.  Mrs. Johns had a room and bath.  Roughly, and not drawn to scale, the living quarters of the family were arranged like the diagram in chapter XIX.

I have said that things were not going smoothly in the after house.  I felt it rather than, saw it.  The women rose late—­except Miss Lee, who was frequently about when I washed the deck.  They chatted and laughed together, read, played bridge when the men were so inclined, and now and then, when their attention was drawn to it, looked at the sea.  They were always exquisitely and carefully dressed, and I looked at them as I would at any other masterpieces of creative art, with nothing of covetousness in my admiration.

The men were violently opposed types Turner, tall, heavy-shouldered, morose by habit, with a prominent nose and rapidly thinning hair, and with strong, pale blue eyes, congested from hard drinking; Vail, shorter by three inches, dark, good-looking, with that dusky flush under the skin which shows good red blood, and as temperate as Turner was dissipated.