Rites of Passage – William Golding - bzelbublive.info

not-but you will remember-and if even a stoic philosopher isreduced by a few.miles of lumpy water, what will become of all us poorfellows on higher seas? I must own to have been reducedalready t o salt tears b y exhaustion a nd t o have beendiscovered i n s uc h a womanish s ta te b y Wheeler!However, he is a worthy fellow. I explained my tears by myexhaustion and he agreed cheerfully."You, sir," said he, "would hunt all day and dance all night atthe end of it. Now if you was to put me, or most seamen, ona horse, our kidneys would be shook clear down to ourknees."I groaned some sort of answer, and heard Wheeler extractthe cork from a bottle."Consider, sir," said he, "it i s but learning t o ride a ship.You will do that soon enough."The thought comforted me; but not a s much a s the mostdelectable odour which came o'er my spirits like the warmsouth. I opened my eyes and lo, what had Wheeler donebut produce a huge dose o f paregoric? The comfortabletaste took me straight back to the nursery and this time withnone of the melancholy attendant on memories of childhoodand home! I sent Wheeler away, dozed for a while thenslept. Truly, the poppy would have done more for old