Suppose now, he should tumble in upon me at midnight--
how could I tell from what vile hole he had been coming?
"Landlord! I've changed my mind about that harpooneer.--
I shan't sleep with him. I'll try the bench here."
"Just as you please; I'm sorry I cant spare ye a tablecloth for
a mattress, and it's a plaguy rough board here"--feeling of the knots
and notches. "But wait a bit, Skrimshander; I've got a carpenter's
plane there in the bar--wait, I say, and I'll make ye snug enough."
So saying he procured the plane; and with his old silk handkerchief
first dusting the bench, vigorously set to planing away at my bed,
the while grinning like an ape. The shavings flew right and left;
till at last the plane-iron came bump against an indestructible knot.
The landlord was near spraining his wrist, and I told him for heaven's
sake to quit--the bed was soft enough to suit me, and I did not know
how all the planing in the world could make eider down of a pine plank.
So gathering up the shavings with another grin, and throwing them into
the great stove in the middle of the room, he went about his business,
and left me in a brown study.
I now took the measure of the bench, and found that it was
a foot too short; but that could be mended with a chair.
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