Ultramarine by Lowry Malcolm

Author:Lowry, Malcolm [Lowry, Malcolm]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-8628-9
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2012-10-07T19:54:00+00:00

IV

“I AIN’T TELLING YOU the word of a lie but this Yankee fellow came up to me and ’e sez steyord ’e sez fond of cigars so I sez yes I am fond of cigars—like who wouldn’t be on this here fore-and-aft sea crane. Waal ’e says ketch hold of these—plenty of these where they come from. And he give me a great box of cigars. Yes.”

“Yes, but that’s only cigars. This bird was a journalist or something of that on a paper in Australia. He’s travelling round the world for it and singing songs at the piano. He says if you talk to me—”

“Lor lumme days. Talk to you. Do you mean he stood you that feed just for talking to him?”

“Certainly he did. He kept saying, now say that again. And all the while he was writing in a little black notebook.”

“Well, what did you tell him?”

“’Ave you heard about Hilliot, chaps? Andy nearly crowned ’im this morning with a frying pan. The seven bell dinner watch sent ’im up to the galley to tell him the sea pie was lousy.”

“—guano—”

“Well, so it was, lousy.”

“-Pass-”

“I don’t like ’im; serves ’im right; he’s what you call a no-classer, that feller.”

“Where is he now?”

“—one no trump—”

“Oh, dreaming about on the poop, he always gets up there during the lunch hour.”

“—Gang—”

“He’s probably listening at the skylight to all we say.”

“Three hearts.”

“Probably-”

“Romeo; wherefore art thou Romey bloody O—”

“But I didn’t know there was a seven bell dinner today—not on Sunday.”

“That’s not your ruddy heart! It’s my ruddy heart!”

“Yes. We’re sailing this evening. The mate came down and served out a lot of bull about getting in more mail. So Mister Hilliot had to get a seven bell dinner in.”

“And Andy nearly crowned him for telling ’im it was lousy. Well let me tell you that that’s the lad’s job. The sailors’ peggy always has orders from the bosun to complain about the food; you know, if it’s rotten—”

“Yes. But the silly devil went about it in the wrong way. You know the way he’d go up. Not going straight to the point, like. You know the way ’e does … . Well, it’s no business of mine sort of thing but these fellers—these damned sailormen say your food’s rotten. No wonder that Andy got on his ear.”

“Well, for God sake. But Andy’s all right, eh?”

“Yes, Andy’s all right, fellers.”

“Guano gang—”

“Well, wot did Hilliot do?”

“Hey, you didn’t shuffle up these cards right and all.”

“Damn all. He didn’t do a dam thing. A good thing for Andy, I reckon, but any way Hilliot just said well, just as long as you know, Andy. And walked out.”

“Oh, wot a twirp!”

“Hullo, ’ere’s the second steward.”

“’Ow go, second?”

“My trick—”

“Second, while you’re about it, you might give this godawful peggy of ours a clean dishcloth. He never washes the thing he’s got: and it’s about as white as a gyppo’s—”

“Are you still abusing that boy? I like him for myself like. He’s got pluck that Hilliot. I seen

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