How they kept their health , I know not , any more than how I kept my own . And yet in other ways it was an easy service . There was no cloth to lay ; the meals were either of oatmeal porridge or salt junk , except twice a week , when there was duff : and though I was clumsy enough and -LRB- not being firm on my sealegs -RRB- sometimes fell with what I was bringing them , both Mr. Riach and the captain were singularly patient . I could not but fancy they were making up lee-way with their consciences , and that they would scarce have been so good with me if they had not been worse with Ransome . As for Mr. Shuan , the drink or his crime , or the two together , had certainly troubled his mind . I can not say I ever saw him in his proper wits . He never grew used to my being there , stared at me continually -LRB- sometimes , I could have thought , with terror -RRB- , and more than once drew back from my hand when I was serving him . I was pretty sure from the first that he had no clear mind of what he had done , and on my second day in the round-house I had the proof of it . We were alone , and he had been staring at me a long time , when all at once , up he got , as pale as death , and came close up to me , to my great terror . But I had no cause to be afraid of him . `` You were not here before ? '' he asked . `` No , sir , '' said I. '' `` There was another boy ? '' he asked again ; and when I had answered him , `` Ah ! '' says he , `` I thought that , '' and went and sat down , without another word , except to call for brandy . You may think it strange , but for all the horror I had , I was still sorry for him . He was a married man , with a wife in Leith ; but whether or no he had a family , I have now forgotten ; I hope not . Altogether it was no very hard life for the time it lasted , which -LRB- as you are to hear -RRB- was not long . I was as well fed as the best of them ; even their pickles , which were the great dainty , I was allowed my share of ; and had I liked I might have been drunk from morning to night , like Mr. Shuan . I had company , too , and good company of its sort .
Mr. XXXXX , who had been to the college , spoke to me like a friend when he was not sulking , and told me many curious things , and some that were informing ; and even the captain , though he kept me at the stick 's end the most part of the time , would sometimes unbuckle a bit , and tell me of the fine countries he had visited .
Leith Ransome Riach Shuan duff first lee-way night round-house sealegs