In twenty-four hours he had six full-sized fits,
and I'll allow I was fairly puzzled. What pleasure he could find in
tumbling down hard and stiff an' kicking at everybody an' everything I
couldn't see. He'd be standing quiet and peaceable like one minute, and
the next he'd catch hold o' the nearest thing to him and have a bad fit,
and lie on his back and kick us while we was trying to force open his
hands to pat 'em.
"The other chaps said the skipper's insult had turned his brain, but I
wasn't quite so soft, an' one time when he was alone I put it to him.
"'Joe, old man,' I ses, 'you an' me's been very good pals.'
"'Ay, ay,' ses he, suspicious like.
"'Joe,' I whispers, 'what's yer little game?'
"'Wodyermean?' ses he, very short.
"'I mean the fits,' ses I, looking at 'im very steady, 'It's no good
looking hinnercent like that, 'cos I see yer chewing soap with my own
eyes.'
"'Soap,' ses Joe, in a nasty sneering way, 'you wouldn't reckernise a
piece if you saw it.'
"Arter that I could see there was nothing to be got out of 'im, an' I
just kept my eyes open and watched. The skipper didn't worry about his
fits, 'cept that he said he wasn't to let the sarpint see his face when
he was in 'em for fear of scaring it; an' when the mate wanted to leave
him out o' the watch, he ses, 'No, he might as well have fits while at
work as well as anywhere else.
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