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Just then the report of Mr Lathrope's revolver sounded above, and Kate almost screamed; but she controlled herself by a strong effort. "And what can you or I do to help the captain and the others?" she said as calmly as she could, longing all the while to go above, although her presence there would be useless. "Dat jus why I come here," replied Snowball eagerly.
Mrs Major Negus murmured something about "somebody" being "shockingly vulgar," but, whether inspired by Mr Lathrope's "philosopherical" remark or not, she could not resist a second helping of some capital "lobscouse" which the darkey cook had dished up most appetisingly; after which the good lady retired to her cabin for the night in much more cheerful spirits.
It was next Mr Lathrope's turn, a wild duck flying right over his head; but, somehow or other, "Colonel Crockett's rifle" didn't happen to be just ready in time, and the duck would have escaped but for Mr Meldrum's bringing it down with his right barrel. It was really very curious.
But, look at that cloud there, Miss Meldrum, slowly creeping up the sky. `I guess, as our American friend says, that we're going to have some rain." "Do you think so?" she answered, smiling at Frank's rather good imitation of Mr Lathrope's nasal intonation of voice; "I thought it looked too bright for that." "We'll have it soon; just you see," said Frank.
Half running, half sliding, she, however, reached the opposite side and was quickly engaged in the Samaritan task of bathing Mr Lathrope's temples with Eau de Cologne.
So he ate and drank with just as good an appetite as ever when dinnertime came though it was later than usual, through Snowball not having been able to light the galley fire till nearly dark; and, on the arrival, according to Mr Zachariah Lathrope's reckoning, of bedtime, he curled himself up in his bunk, going to sleep as composedly as if he had been safe and sound ashore, with the comforting assurance to the others, as he said "good-night," that "if things should kinder turn out onpleasant, why, I guess they'll rouse me up!"
"Tank you, massa; den you ken take down de bill, I ain't no longer to let I'm on, yah, yah!" shouted Snowball, giving way to the most obstreperous merriment, in order to testify his satisfaction at Mr Lathrope's engaging him in his service, the darkey having always had a hankering after the American from his thorough appreciation of his cookery. Mrs Major Negus was true to the last.
The American was in a much worse plight; for, whereas Mrs Major Negus had only swallowed a lot of sea-water and had been only nearly frightened to death, Mr Lathrope's sallow face was so unearthly pale that Mr Meldrum was certain he had received some severe injury; as he was tightly jammed between his bunk and the washing-stand, while a heavy packing-case had tumbled out of the top berth on to one of his shoulders, preventing him from moving.
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