By means of two small
pieces of fishing line he was suspended by his thumbs in the
weather rigging, in such a manner that when the ship was upright
his toes touched the deck, but when she rolled his whole weight
hung from his thumbs. This of itself one would have thought
sufficient torture for almost any offence, but in addition to it
he received two dozen lashes with an improvised cat-o'-nine-
tails, laid on by the brawny arm of one of the harpooners. We
were all compelled to witness this, and our feelings may be
imagined. When, after what seemed a terribly long time to me
(Heaven knows what it must have been to him!), he fainted,
although no chicken I nearly fainted too, from conflicting
emotions of sympathy and impotent rage.
He was then released in leisurely fashion, and we were permitted
to take him forward and revive him. As soon as he was able to
stand on his feet, he was called on deck again, and not allowed
to go below till his watch was over. Meanwhile Captain Slocum
improved the occasion by giving us a short harangue, the burden
of which was that we had now seen a LITTLE of what any of us
might expect if we played any "dog's tricks" on him. But you can
get used to anything, I suppose: so after the first shock of the
atrocity was over, things went on again pretty much as usual.
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