United States or Cook Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The lot of us then coming to the aid of `Gyp, the captain and all catching up anything handy to have a shy at them, the family of rodents that had been having such a gay old time below for so long without interference, was soon exterminated; after which the dog and his master, with the other officers, returned to the main-deck, while we resumed our work at the pumps all the more heartily from the bit of play we had had, old Jellybelly never once grumbling again till we had done.
"I've only just joined the service, I tell you." "Ah, you jist wait then," said he, taking this observation of mine for a fresh lead. "I wer' out once, I tells yer, in the brig when the sea wos mountings 'igh, an' the wind Lor'! Yer shood 'a 'errd it blow! It took the mizzen to's'le right clean out of 'er; an' there wos four on us at the wheel, ay, 'sides old Jellybelly."
Now, whether `Gyp' carried the rat he had captured cosily to the captain's quarters, or through some one taking the tale aft, I'm sure I can't say; but, while the working party of us boys told off to clear the bilge were pumping away for dear life, and looking out for old Jellybelly, who was superintending our task, to sing out `spell ho! to give us breathing time, down comes a lot of the officers after their lunch, with the captain at the head of them, accompanied by Master `Gyp, who, somehow or other, didn't need anybody to show him the way, though he hadn't been below in the ship there to my knowledge before, his nose being as good as a compass, and pointing out where he thought his services might be required.
"Yo ho, my lads!" bawled out old Jellybelly, quite in his element, I believe, as he liked to hear his own voice. "Round she comes! Heave and paul with a yo heave ho!" "By jingo, she's moving!" Mr Gadgett quivered out, more excited than I had ever seen the grey-haired gunner before. "Another turn or two, my lads, and she'll be afloat!"
He was thinking sadly of the long-lost days of his youth, and wishing he had been a better man. Liza had no respect for such holy emotions, and she brought down her fist on the crown of his hat, and bashed it over his eyes. 'Na then, old jellybelly, she said, 'wot's the good of 'avin' a fice as long as a kite? He turned round and smote her. 'Jellybelly yerself! said he.
This latter precaution, however, proved a useless one; for the gang of eager lads working away with a will at the crank-handles of the pumps, soon cleared the little amount of water that was in the bilge, and the shaft sucked dry. "Ther' ain't a drop in her," reported Mr Tarbolt, the quarter-master, `old Jellybelly, as we called him amongst ourselves.
"I say, sir," said he, in a tone of the deepest sympathy, "don't you feel werry tired, sir, a-standing theer so long?" "Aye, my son," replies old Jellybelly, thinking to himself, no doubt, that the chap showed wonderful good feeling for a boy; he regarding them all as a rule, not without reason probably, as imps of mischief. "It is rather tiring sometimes.
There was a subdued titter from all the other fellows, both them in the boat and the rest who were out on the booms and standing by the entry- port, and old Jellybelly shook his fist in a threatening manner at Mick; but the smile on his face showed that he took the old joke in good part.
"I hear, Tarbolt," said the captain, addressing old Jellybelly by his proper name, "you have rats aboard here?" "Aye, aye, sir," replied the quarter-master, drawing himself up sharp from the act of touching up with his cane one of the boys a little way from me, whom he fancied wasn't putting sufficient elbow grease into his work. "I believe, sir, as how the ship reg'lerly swarms with 'em.
'Yah, I wouldn't git a second-'and dress at a pawnbroker's! 'Garn! said Liza indignantly. 'I'll swipe yer over the snitch if yer talk ter me. I got the mayterials in the West Hend, didn't I? And I 'ad it mide up by my Court Dressmiker, so you jolly well dry up, old jellybelly. 'Garn! was the reply.
Word Of The Day