Chinamen staggering up on the bridge one by one for their share,
and the old man still booted, and in his shirt-sleeves, busy

paying out at the chartroom door, perspiring like anything, and
now and then coming down sharp on myself or Father Rout about one

thing or another not quite to his mind. He took the share of
those who were disabled himself to them on the No. 2 hatch.

There were three dollars left over, and these went to the three
most damaged coolies, one to each. We turned-to afterwards, and

shovelled out on deck heaps of wet rags, all sorts of fragments
of things without shape, and that you couldn't give a name to,

and let them settle the ownership themselves.
"This certainly is coming as near as can be to keeping the thing

quiet for the benefit of all concerned. What's your opinion, you
pampered mail-boat swell? The old chief says that this was

plainly the only thing that could be done. The skipper remarked
to me the other day, 'There are things you find nothing about in

books.' I think that he got out of it very well for such a
stupid man."

End

• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)
• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)
• ownership [´əunəʃip] n.所有权；所有制 (英语四级单词)
• skipper [´skipə] n.&vi.(当)船长 (英语四级单词)