After dinner, the officers belonging to both the steerage and ward-room messes congregated on the main-deck, under the awning, to smoke. During the conversation the carpenter, who went by the name of "Chips," remarked, as he wiped the big drops of perspiration from his forehead:
"This boat is intolerable. I would like to be where I was six years ago this summer."
"I was in a whale-ship, off the coast of Greenland. I was tired enough of it then, but now I'd like to have just one breath of air off those icebergs."
"So would I," said the paymaster. "It would be so refreshing."
At this, a little, dumpy man, who had sat lolling back in his chair, with his hat pushed down over his eyes, and his cigar, which he had allowed to go out, pointing upward toward his left cheek, started up, and carelessly inquired:
"Yes, when I was a youngster. I went up there just to see the country. I spent five years on the voyage."
The dumpy man made no answer, but there was a roguish twinkle in his eye, as he drew a little memorandum-book from his pocket, and, after deliberately placing it on his knee, proceeded to make the following entry, on a page which was headed "Chronological Tables," and which was covered on one side with writing, and on the other by a long column of figures:
Paymaster spent on voyage to Greenland 5 years.
After adding up the column of figures, he closed the book and returned it to his pocket. Then, turning to the paymaster, he quietly remarked:
"Four hundred and eighty-five years old! That's doing well-extremely well. You don't look as old as that, sir. You won't find one man in five hundred hold his age as well as you do."
The effect of this speech on the officers sitting around was ludicrous in the extreme, and had the party been in the mess-room the dumpy man might possibly have been obliged to "run a race" with a boot-jack, or any other missile that came handy to the paymaster; but as it was, the latter was compelled to choke down his wrath, and leave the deck.
Frank also found that these strange cognomens were common in the steerage; one, in particular, he noticed. It was a master's mate, who went by the name of "Nuisance." He was as "green" as he could possibly be, and, although he seemed to try hard to learn his duty, was continually getting himself into trouble. He had a room off the quarter-deck, (the same that Frank was to occupy,) but seemed to prefer any other room than his own; for, when off watch, he would take possession of the first bunk that suited his fancy; and, not unfrequently, boots, neck-ties, collars, etc., which had been missed, were found upon his person. It was not his intention to _steal_ them, for the articles were always returned after he had worn them to his satisfaction. If an officer went into his room to write, or to engage in any other business at which he did not wish to be disturbed, the mate was sure to be on hand, and hints were of no avail; nothing but a direct "Clear out--I don't want you in here," would have the desired effect. It was this habit that had given him the name he bore. One would suppose that after receiving so many rebuffs he would cease to trouble his brother officers; but he seemed to be very dull of comprehension. The executive officer scolded him continually. Finding that it did no good, the officers were obliged, as a last resort, to keep their rooms locked. Had the mate been of a surly, unaccommodating disposition, he would not have got off so easily; but no one could have the heart to report him, for every one liked him. He was always cheerful, ready to do any one a favor, and was generous to a fault. Frank at once took a liking to his new room-mate, but, having been duly instructed by the others, he took particular pains to keep all his wearing apparel, when not in use, safely locked in his trunk.