When Jack went again
below to the filthy, frowsy cabin of the smack, and thought over the
months of cold, toil, drenching weather, and hard fare, I have no doubt
but that he thought of the pretty girl, but he said very little, and
larked on as usual as soon as he got over his parting carouse.
For several trips after this, my handsome fellow was wild and careless;
his splendid constitution enabled him to drink with impunity the
abominable stuff sold by the Copers, and he was merely merry when older
soakers were delirious. His father and he parted, and the old man
stayed at home as ship's husband to a firm of smack owners, and the lad
had his head free. He was as desperately brave as ever, for the subtle
poison was long in attacking his nerve; but many of his ways were queer,
and the men who went home in the returning smacks carried unpleasant
reports about him. At times, like Robert Burns, George Morland, and men
of that kidney, he would give way to a passionate burst of repentance;
but in his case the repentance always departed with the return of health
and buoyancy.
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