Edmond said nothing; but he thought of his
messmate; the one who had lain far back in the shadow; the one who had said nothing.
"Welcome hither," said Zarathustra, "thou soothsayer of the great weariness, not in vain shalt thou once have been my
messmate and guest.
Their uninvited guest, unlike the generality of his tribe, was somewhat dirty as well as ragged and they had no relish for such a
messmate. Heaping up, therefore, an abundant portion of the "provant" upon a piece of bark, which served for a dish, they invited him to confine himself thereto, instead of foraging in the general mess.
"You are a good fellow and a kind-hearted
messmate," replied Edmond, "and heaven will recompense you for your generous intentions; but I do not wish any one to stay with me.
"No you won't,
messmate! If it's him or us for it, let a bullet do it, and let it do it quick, you bloody Spaniard!
This captain taking a fancy to my conversation, which was not at all disagreeable at that time, hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, told me if I would go the voyage with him I should be at no expense; I should be his
messmate and his companion; and if I could carry anything with me, I should have all the advantage of it that the trade would admit; and perhaps I might meet with some encouragement.
Had a man hooked tobacco from a
messmate? He was named in meeting; the name tossed from roller to roller.
Dooty is dooty,
messmates. I'll put on my old cockerel hat, and step along of you to Cap'n Trelawney, and report this here affair.
In the meantime the captain addressed himself steadily to the business of his ship, scorning the holiday spirit and useless pursuits of his emancipated
messmates, and warning them, from time to time, not to wander away nor be out of hail.
The sick and helpless men, whose last hope of rescue centered in their departing
messmates, cheered faintly.
Do not go thence leaving me unwaked and unburied behind you, or I may bring heaven's anger upon you; but burn me with whatever armour I have, build a barrow for me on the sea shore, that may tell people in days to come what a poor unlucky fellow I was, and plant over my grave the oar I used to row with when I was yet alive and with my
messmates.' And I said, 'My poor fellow, I will do all that you have asked of me.'
I submitted all this to my friends Simeon Macey and Charley Coffin, of Nantucket, both
messmates of mine in a certain voyage, and they united in the opinion that the reasons set forth were altogether insufficient.
messmate - (nautical) an associate with whom you share meals in the same mess (as on a ship)