Fiction > Book editions > London, 1886 - Kidnapped

THE   ROUND-HOUSE.                                 69
porridge or salt junk, except twice a week, when there
was duff: and though I was clumsy enough and (not
being firm on my sea-legs) sometimes fell with what I
was bringing them, both Mr. Riach and the captain
were singularly patient. I could not but fancy they
were making up lee-way with their consciences, and
that they would scarce have been so good with me if
they had not been worse with Ransome.
As for Mr. Shuan, the drink, or his crime, or the
two together, had certainly troubled his mind. I cannot
say I ever saw him in his proper wits. He never grew
used to my being there, stared at me continually (some-
times, I could have thought, with terror) and more
than once drew back from my hand when I was serving
him. I was pretty sure from the first that he had no
clear mind of what he had done, and on my second day
in the round-house I had the proof of it. We were
alone, and he had been staring at me a long time, when,
all at once, up he got, as pale as death, and came close
up to me, to my great terror. But I had no cause to be
afraid of him.
"You were not here before?" he asked.
"No, sir," said I.
"There was another boy?" he asked again; and
when I had answered him, "Ah!" says he, "I thought
that," and went and sat down, without another word,
except to call for brandy.
You may think it strange, but for all the horror I
had, I was still sorry for him. He was a married man,