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"Oh, it's just a way we've got," returned Flaggan, resuming his gravity; "the English have a knack o' larfin', off and on, w'en they shouldn't ought to. Git along with your yarn." "Well, that wos the finish. I became a Breetish tar, an' fouted in all the battils of the navy. I 'spected to get promotion an' prize-money, but nivir git none, 'cause of circumstances as wos never 'splained to me.
Sit down, you Breetish tar." "All right, old chap," replied Jarwin, seating himself on a stool opposite to his master. "Wot is it to be about?" "Jowin," rejoined Big Chief, with deepening gravity, "you's bin well treated here." Big Chief spoke in broken English now, having picked it up with amazing facility from his white slave.
"You are Breetish sailor, I zee," returned the old man, sitting down and heaving a deep sigh, as if unable to recover breath. "You will onderstan' when I say your Lord Exmouth do come quickly for bombard de city!" "Onderstand you is it?" exclaimed Ted, with sudden excitement. "Faix do I, but I don't belave ye."
Well, one night we come in our friggit to anchor in bay of Algiers. I gits leave go ashore wi' tothers, runs right away to our Dey, who gits awrful waxy, sends for Breetish cap'n, 'splain that I's the son of a Turk by a Algerine moder an' wery nigh or'er the cap'n's head to be cutted off." "You don't say so?" "Yis, it's troo.
Here goes, then, for a yarn." Jarwin spoke, of course, in the native tongue, which we translate into his own language. "Big Chief, small chiefs, and niggers in general," he began, with a wave of his right hand, "you've called on me for a speech. Good. I'm your man, I'm a `Breetish tar, as your great chief says truly that's a fact; an' I'm a Christian I hope.
"I feared that," said the King, "for I doubt not that you has friends in your native home which draws you. Well, you wishes to go. I say, `Go with my good-will. There is Breetish ship loading at Tamatave now. If you and you's friends mus' go, there be your chance, and I will send you to Tamatave in palanquins. We all very sorry you go, for you was useful to us, and you was be kind to my mother!"
It was probably with a kind motive that he pursued the discourse in a way to give his host some insight into the true condition of matters in that part of the world. "Plenty Breetish in woods," he said, with marked deliberation and point. "Yankee no come yet." "Let me know the truth, at once, Chippewa," exclaimed le Bourdon.
We wos 'bleeged to gif in, for wot kin courage do agin numbers? so we wos took aboord a friggit and 'zamined." "An' what?" asked the seaman. "'Zamined. Overhauled," replied the Moor. "Oh! examined, I see. Well?" "Well, I feels sure of git hoff, bein' a Algerine Moor, so w'en my turn comes, I says to the hofficer wot 'zamined us, says I, `I's not a Breetish man!
While he was yet pondering these things, Big Chief advanced towards him, and, taking him by the hand, led him into the centre of the concourse. To his great surprise and confusion the tall chief said "Now, Jowin will palaver to you. He is one Breetish tar one Christian. He can tell us what we shall do."
How d'ee s'pose that I can tell 'ee wot to do? I ain't a parson no, not even a clerk, or a parish beadle!" To this Big Chief vouchsafed no further reply than "Palaver, you Breetish tar!" "Wery good," exclaimed Jarwin, turning round, and looking full at his audience, while a bright smile lit up his sunburnt countenance, as if a sudden idea had occurred to him, "I'll do my best to palaver.
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