Then it spread with a pleasant warmth all through my
body....
"Stay here to-night ... rather uncomfortable bed, but at least it's dry.
No one 'ull bother you ... in the morning Captain ----, who is in charge
of the commissariat here, might give you a job."
* * * * *
That next morning Captain ---- gave me a job as mate, eighty dollars
Mex. and a place to sleep, along with others, in a Compound, and find my
food at my own expense....
Mate, on a supply-launch that went in and out to and from the
transports, that were continually anchoring in the bay. Our job was to
keep the officers' mess in supplies....
"And, if you stick to your job six months," I was informed, "you'll be
entitled to free transportation back to San Francisco."
My captain was a neat, young Englishman, with the merest hint of a
moustache of fair gold.
Our crew--two Chinamen who jested about us between themselves in a
continuous splutter of Chinese. We could tell, by their grimaces and
gestures ... we rather liked their harmless, human impudence ... as long
as they did the work, while we lazed about, talking ... while up and
down the yellow sweep of the Pei-ho the little boat tramped.
* * * * *
"It's too bad you didn't arrive on the present scene a few weeks,
sooner," said my young captain ...
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