SLIM GOES ON STRIKE 183 



the speech of the occasion and proffered the 

 forecastle's request in his best rhetoric. Cap- 

 tain Shorey puffed silently at his cigar. " I'll 

 see about it," he said. That closed the incident 

 as far as the captain was concerned. We got 

 no shore leave. 



As the day wore away and the desired permis- 

 sion failed to materialize, the forecastle became 

 piqued at what it considered the skipper's gra- 

 tuitous ungraciousness. Slim waxed particu- 

 larly indignant. 



He'll ' see about it,' " Slim sneered. " He 

 never had no idea of letting us go in the first 

 place. He's a cold-blooded son of a sea cook — 

 that's what he is — and as for me, I'll never do 

 another tap of work aboard the bloody hooker." 



This was strong language. Of course, none 

 of us took it seriously, feeling sure Slim would 

 reconsider by the next morning and turn to for 

 work with the rest of us. But we did not know 

 Slim. Bright and early Monday morning, the 

 men mustered on deck and went to work, but 

 Slim remained in his bunk. 



Having rowed our whale bone to the dock and 



