“Not knowing what he meant, I follered ‘im below to the engine-room, an’ there was Joe sitting on a bucket staring wildly in front of ’im, and two or three of ’em standing round looking at ’im with their ’eads on one side.

“‘He’s been like that for three hours,’ ses the second engineer in a whisper, ‘dazed like.’

“As he spoke Joe gave a little shudder; ‘Frighten the sea-sarpint!’ ses he, ‘O Lord!’

“‘It’s turned his brain,’ ses one o’ the firemen, ’he keeps saying nothing but that.’

“’If we could only make ‘im cry,’ ses the second engineer, who had a brother what was a medical student, ’it might save his reason.  But how to do it, that’s the question.’

“’Speak kind to ‘im, sir,’ ses the fireman.  ’I’ll have a try if you don’t mind.’  He cleared his throat first, an’ then he walks over to Joe and puts his hand on his shoulder an’ ses very soft an’ pitiful like: 

“’Don’t take on, Joe, don’t take on, there’s many a ugly mug ’ides a good ‘art,’

“Afore he could think o” anything else to say, Joe ups with his fist an’ gives ’im one in the ribs as nearly broke ’em.  Then he turns away ’is ‘ead an’ shivers again, an’ the old dazed look come back.

“‘Joe,’ I ses, shaking him, ‘Joe!’

“‘Frightened the sea-sarpint!’ whispers Joe, staring.

“‘Joe,’ I ses, ‘Joe.  You know me, I’m your pal, Bill.’

“‘Ay, ay,’ ses Joe, coming round a bit.

“‘Come away,’ I ses, ‘come an’ git to bed, that’s the best place for you.’

“I took ‘im by the sleeve, and he gets up quiet an’ obedient and follers me like a little child.  I got ’im straight into ‘is bunk, an’ arter a time he fell into a soft slumber, an’ I thought the worst had passed, but I was mistaken.  He got up in three hours’ time an’ seemed all right, ’cept that he walked about as though he was thinking very hard about something, an’ before I could make out what it was he had a fit.

“He was in that fit ten minutes, an’ he was no sooner out o’ that one than he was in another.  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.’