A FIVE MONTHS' TRIP 



hand. He could not understand that right and left 

 bower represented by jacks could be more valuable 

 than the ace. I could see that I would have to teach 

 him all over again if I started with euchre straight 

 away. Cribbage was too complicated, and my superi- 

 ority at German whist was too heavy; piquet is a 

 game for the advanced. Thereupon I invented a 

 sort of whist, with twenty-six cards in each hand — that 

 is, we did not put a dummy on the table, as he could 

 not understand partners. He was such a good fellow, 

 and would take a real childish delight in my instruc- 

 tions, and if he could win a hand at this fearful and 

 wonderful game, which I can claim as my own, he 

 would jolly me no end, and tell the mate at dinner. I 

 am quite sure the mate professed a profound contempt 

 for cards, which he could play, I discovered, but he 

 would never confess it to the skipper. He may have 

 feared instruction. 



One day, when there was just a smack of autumn 

 in the air, and we were about 80° north, and getting 

 into colder latitudes, he said to me : " We shall 

 have to go light with that brandy. I have only got 

 two more bottles left." " Then we will go on with 

 whisky." "Haven't got any left," he replied. "I 

 thought perhaps you would bring your own." " And 

 I relied on you," was my reproof. 



The horrible discovery was made that, with the 

 exception of a few bottles of " square- face " (Dutch 

 gin), we had finished everything in the liquor line, but 

 we had taken many weeks to do so. It was agreed that 

 we should tackle the hollands straight away ; and it 

 is not a bad drink at sea. In the course of a week or 

 so this disappeared, and he said to me, after we had 

 gone minus a peg up till supper- time ; " Don't you 

 think one bottle of brandy would be sufficient to keep 



