Chapter 27 - Page 2

his little comforts, and, as for myself, I confess to rather a
weakness in that way."

"Monstrous prodigality and wastefulness!" cried Saunders, as Eve passed on
towards her own cabin, willing to escape any more of Sir George's
complaints. "Just be so kind, Miss Effingham, ma'am, to look into this
here pantry, once! Them niggers, I do believe, have had their fingers in
every thing, and it will take Toast and me a week to get things decorous
and orderly again. Some of the shrieks" (for so the steward styled the
chiefs) "have been yelling well in this place, I'll engage, as you may
see, by the manner in which they have spilt the mustard and mangled that
cold duck. I've a most mortal awersion to a man that cuts up poultry
against the fibers; and, would you think it, Miss Effingham, ma'am, that
the last gun Mr. Blunt fired, dislocated, or otherwise diwerted, about
half a dozen of the fowls that happened to be in the way; for I let all
the poor wretches out of the coops, that they might make their own livings
should we never come back. I should think that as polite and experienced a
gentleman as Mr. Blunt might have shot the Arabs instead of my poultry!"

"So it is," thought Eve, as she glanced into the pantry and proceeded.
"What is considered happiness to-day gets to be misery to-morrow, and the
rebukes of adversity are forgotten the instant prosperity resumes its
influence. Either of these men, a few hours since, would have been most
happy to have been in this vessel, as a home, or a covering for their
heads, and now they quarrel with their good fortune because it is wanting
in some accustomed superfluity or pampered indulgence."

We shall leave her with this wholesome reflection uppermost, to examine
into the condition of her own room, and return to the deck.

As the hour was still early, Captain Truck having once quieted his
feelings, went to work with zeal, to turn the late success to the best
account. The cargo that had been discharged was soon stowed again, and the
next great object was to get the ship afloat previously to hoisting in the
new spars. As the kedges still lay on the reef, and all the anchors
remained in the places where they had originally been placed, there was
little to do but to get ready to heave upon the chains as soon as the tide
rose. Previously to commencing this task, however, the intervening time
was well employed in sending, down the imperfect hamper that was aloft,
and in getting up shears to hoist out the remains of the foremast, as well
as the jury mainmast, the latter of which, it will be remembered, was only
fitted two days before. All the appliances used on that occasion being
still on deck, and every body lending a