"You don't quite know what
we've been doing, I suppose. Some of us have been in the navy for two
years, and some for ten. There are men on this ship who could tell
you stories that would make your blood run cold--take my word for it.
There's a lot of things goin' on that oughtn't to be goin' on. The time
has come for reform. Have a look at this paper, and tell me what you
think."
Dyck looked at the pockmarked face of Ferens, whose record in the courts
was a bad one, and what he saw did not disgust him. It was as though
Ferens had stumbled and been badly hit in his fall, but there were no
signs of permanent evil in his countenance. He was square-headed,
close-cropped, clear-eyed, though his face was yellow where it was not
red, and his tongue was soft in his head.
Dyck read the paper slowly and carefully. Then he handed it back without
a word.
"Well, what have you got to say?" asked Ferens. "Nothing? Don't you
think that's a strong list of grievances and wrongs?"
Dyck nodded. "Yes, it's pretty strong," he said, and he held up his
hand. "Number One, wages and cost of living. I'm sure we're right
there. Cost of living was down in King Charles's time, and wages were
down accordingly. Everything's gone up, and wages should go up. Number
Two, the prize-money scandal. I'm with you there. I don't see why an
officer should get two thousand five hundred times as much as a seaman.
There ought to be a difference, but not so much.
Pages:
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35