In Hazard Read Online Free
Author: Richard Hughes
the Chief Officerâs lemur would be an insult to the Chief Officer.
As for the Engineers, Thomas knew well enough that he must never so much as approach their quarters: and in his masterâs foghorn no-one dared to touch him.
IV
In the late summer of 1929 (five years after my first meeting with Mr. MacDonald) the âArchimedesâ took in a mixed cargo at various ports on the Atlantic seaboard, for the Far East. The elaborate matter of its stowage Mr. Buxton was responsible for, of course (a deck officer has actually to know more about cargo than about waves). At New York he stowed some bags of wax at the bottom. Then came many kinds of mixed whatnots. One item was a number of tons of old newspapers, which the Chinese like to build their houses of. These were mostly stowed in the âtween-decksâhigh up, that is to say, since they were comparatively light. At Norfolk (Virginia) they took in some low-grade tobacco, also bound for China, where it would be made into cheap cigarettes. This too was stowed in the âtween-decks.
Norfolk was the last loading port, and they were delayed there a bit. This was not irksome, however. Philadelphia, in spite of the stink in the docks, had been all right in its way since most of the officers had friends there; but Norfolk far outdid even Philadelphia in hospitality. The Master and the Chief Officer (it is a rule) must never both go ashore at the same time. Yet at Norfolk there were so many parties that both could have their fill of pleasure. Even Mr. MacDonald, when he could be persuaded to go to one of these affairs, grew gayâor at least, gayish.
The junior officers mostly attended other and more casual parties, at which they had many eye-opening experiences. Mr. Watchett, for instance, of the sober East Anglian market-town of Fakenham, a very young officer, was caught up suddenly one night by a troop of Southern boys and girls. He told them he came from Norfolk, Englandâit was enough introduction. He had never seen them before that minute, but they treated him at once with the kindly indifference of old friends. They danced his legs off, somewhere; and then suddenly crowded into cars, and drove out into the night. The hot smell of oiled, sandy roads: the very high trees almost meeting overhead: the din of frogs and insects. They arrived at a fine Colonial house and gave Dick Watchett corn-whisky in a room full of elaborate Victorian-looking furniture that smelt musty.
They were all highly civilised. Amongst them was one older man, an ex-soldier. He wore a gilt and ormolu leg with his evening clothes, for he held that the merely serviceable artificial limb which he wore with his day-clothes was wrong with a tuxedo. There was also in the party one very lovely fair girl, with wide innocent eyes. She was in the first bud of youthâstill at High School. She told Dick that she came of a peculiarly aristocratic family, the property of whose blood, for countless generations, had been to send any flea which bit them raving mad. This property, indeed, had been their ruin. For her father, in order to win a footling bet, had wantonly deranged the wits of some of the most valuable performers in a flea-circus: and the family plantation had to be mortgaged to pay the enormous damages which the Court awarded against him. At least, so she told Dick.
This was the first inkling which Dick Watchett had that America, as well as Europe, held her ancient aristocratic families, jealous of their blood.
The man with the gilt and ormolu leg kept trying to make love to this girl (whose name was Sukie). She resented it, being actually as innocent even as she looked: so she adopted Dick as her protector, nestling against him like a bird. He did not notice that she was drinking far more neat corn-whisky even than he drank himself. Actually it was more than she was used to, being so young, and this her first party of the kind also: but having begun it did not occur to her to
As for the Engineers, Thomas knew well enough that he must never so much as approach their quarters: and in his masterâs foghorn no-one dared to touch him.
IV
In the late summer of 1929 (five years after my first meeting with Mr. MacDonald) the âArchimedesâ took in a mixed cargo at various ports on the Atlantic seaboard, for the Far East. The elaborate matter of its stowage Mr. Buxton was responsible for, of course (a deck officer has actually to know more about cargo than about waves). At New York he stowed some bags of wax at the bottom. Then came many kinds of mixed whatnots. One item was a number of tons of old newspapers, which the Chinese like to build their houses of. These were mostly stowed in the âtween-decksâhigh up, that is to say, since they were comparatively light. At Norfolk (Virginia) they took in some low-grade tobacco, also bound for China, where it would be made into cheap cigarettes. This too was stowed in the âtween-decks.
Norfolk was the last loading port, and they were delayed there a bit. This was not irksome, however. Philadelphia, in spite of the stink in the docks, had been all right in its way since most of the officers had friends there; but Norfolk far outdid even Philadelphia in hospitality. The Master and the Chief Officer (it is a rule) must never both go ashore at the same time. Yet at Norfolk there were so many parties that both could have their fill of pleasure. Even Mr. MacDonald, when he could be persuaded to go to one of these affairs, grew gayâor at least, gayish.
The junior officers mostly attended other and more casual parties, at which they had many eye-opening experiences. Mr. Watchett, for instance, of the sober East Anglian market-town of Fakenham, a very young officer, was caught up suddenly one night by a troop of Southern boys and girls. He told them he came from Norfolk, Englandâit was enough introduction. He had never seen them before that minute, but they treated him at once with the kindly indifference of old friends. They danced his legs off, somewhere; and then suddenly crowded into cars, and drove out into the night. The hot smell of oiled, sandy roads: the very high trees almost meeting overhead: the din of frogs and insects. They arrived at a fine Colonial house and gave Dick Watchett corn-whisky in a room full of elaborate Victorian-looking furniture that smelt musty.
They were all highly civilised. Amongst them was one older man, an ex-soldier. He wore a gilt and ormolu leg with his evening clothes, for he held that the merely serviceable artificial limb which he wore with his day-clothes was wrong with a tuxedo. There was also in the party one very lovely fair girl, with wide innocent eyes. She was in the first bud of youthâstill at High School. She told Dick that she came of a peculiarly aristocratic family, the property of whose blood, for countless generations, had been to send any flea which bit them raving mad. This property, indeed, had been their ruin. For her father, in order to win a footling bet, had wantonly deranged the wits of some of the most valuable performers in a flea-circus: and the family plantation had to be mortgaged to pay the enormous damages which the Court awarded against him. At least, so she told Dick.
This was the first inkling which Dick Watchett had that America, as well as Europe, held her ancient aristocratic families, jealous of their blood.
The man with the gilt and ormolu leg kept trying to make love to this girl (whose name was Sukie). She resented it, being actually as innocent even as she looked: so she adopted Dick as her protector, nestling against him like a bird. He did not notice that she was drinking far more neat corn-whisky even than he drank himself. Actually it was more than she was used to, being so young, and this her first party of the kind also: but having begun it did not occur to her to
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