W. W. Jacobs

“ Jemmy. It's a good bit higher than this and you'd get more air and be more comfortable altogether."
"Joe wouldn't like it, mum," said the boy, anxiously. The last glimpse he had of the skipper's face did not make him yearn to share his bed with him.
"Stuff and nonsense," said Mrs. Harbolt, hotly. "Who's Joe, I'd like to know? But you come."
"I can't move, mum," said Jem, firmly.
"Nonsense," said the lady. "I'll just put it straight for you first, then in it you go."
"No, don't, mum," shouted Jem, now thoroughly alarmed at the success of the plot. "There's—there's a gentleman in that bunk. ”

“ There's a pore female touched a bit on the upper story what's been writing love letters to me, George."
"Three pore females!" said the precise mate; "the missis has got all the letters tied up with blue ribbons. Very far gone they was, too.".
"George," said the skipper in a broken voice, "I'm a ruined man. I'll never hear the end o' this. I guess I'll go an' sleep for'ard this voyage and lie low. Be keerful you don't let on I'm aboard, an' after she's gone 'ome I'll take the ship again and let the thing leak out gradually; come to life bit by bit, so to speak. ”

“ It was the last straw, and he made things so uncomfortable below that the crew was glad to escape on deck, where they squatted down in the bows and proceeded to review a situation which was rapidly becoming unbearable.
"I've 'ad enough of it, Joe," grumbled the boy. "I'm sore all over with sleeping on the floor, and the old man's temper gets wuss. I'm going to be ill."
"Whaffor? " queried Joe, dully.
"You tell the missis I'm down below ill. Say you think I am dying," responded the infant Machiavelli, "then you'll see something if you keep your eyes open." ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1943, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 79 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”