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"Capin Kurruk" was our effective password. Kirke I suppose, had heliographed our arrival, and the Subadar and the native doctor met us. The Subadar, a Sikh, I think, had almost the only Indian face I have seen so far that I liked big, potent, and with the appearance of a sportsman and gentleman. The doctor was of rather an opposite type, though clever-looking, and spoke a little English.
"I is capin," he answered, taking off his straw hat and making a low bow. "You!" said our captain, in surprise. "Where do you come from, and where are you bound? What cargo have you aboard?" "We is come," answered the man with the swallow-tail, "from Aitutaki; we was go for Rarotonga.
"I is capin," he answered, taking off his straw hat and making a low bow. "You!" said our captain in surprise. "Where do you come from, and where are you bound? What cargo have you aboard?" "We is come," answered the man with the swallowtail, "from Aitutaki; we was go for Rarotonga.
I hev been kinder cocky, an I hev put on some airs, ez these fellers says, fer I callated ye'd kinder washed yer hands o' this business, an leff me tew be capin, but arter this ye'll fine Abner Rathbun knows his place." "You were quite right about it, Abner. I have washed my hands of the business. I am going to take my folks out to York State. I meant to start this morning.
"Well," whispered Mr Brooke, "what does he say? Is it one of the pirate vessels?" "No pilate. Big boat come down hong, sir. Capin fellow want to know if we pilate come chop off head, and say he velly glad we all good man." "Are you quite sure?" said Mr Brooke. I heard Ching give a little laugh. "If pilate," he said, "all be full bad men. Lightee lantern; thlow stink-pot; make noise."
"And I must say, Miss Dunham, if he did, it would be nothin' more than them deserves us would go for to guard them cruel British." "But they do say, Miss Caxton, that this Capin for Jack says he is a Capin was better than the rest that he took the part of our people every where when he found there wasn't any fair fight, and that he was drivin' his men to the ships when we caught him."
"May be, Miss Caxton, you may think to-morrow mornin' that it would have been just as well to wait till the night was gone before you said that when you see the British Capin hanging by the neck in his fine regimentals, and hear that his guard were the men that did it as I know they've sworn to do you may think after all they an't so mean speritted."
"Are these men sailors?" "Dey all done work aboard a vessel, but dey ain't much sailors." "All free niggers?" "No, sar; wish dey was." "Where are the rest of the men?" "In de fo'castle, sar. De capin specks de mate come to-night, an' I reckon we's gwine down de bay right off den." "Go and call the captain then," added Christy, as confidently as though he had stood on his own ground.
Having acquired what he knew of it in the forecastle, he talked little else than sailor phrases, which sounded whimsically enough. I asked him one day how old he was. This was a thing impossible; but adapting my discourse to the man, I rejoined "Ah! you see Capin Tootee well, how you like him?"
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