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"Think of the homes it has ruined," he was saying; "the young lives it has blighted; the prisons it is filling; the " "What about the snakes, Mickie?" came a voice from the audience. "Sure, you're right there. I don't intind to leave the snakes out. And say, Dave Groggan, did yer grandfather ever tell ye where the sarpents wint to whin Saint Patrick drove thim out of ould Ireland?"
The master of the vessel sat on a hen-coop, and did not condescend to rise or offer me the least salute as I passed him; he was a short, thick, paunchy-looking fellow. "You are an Englishman, I guess?" "I guess I am," I said, imitating him with a nasal twang. "I thought we shouldn't be long in our waters afore we met some of you old-country sarpents.
The "people" will forgive anything sooner than this; though there are "folks" who fancy it as infallible a sign of an aristocrat not to chew tobacco. But, unless I return to Joshua, the reader will complain that I cause him to stand still. "No, no," continued Mr. Brigham; "anything but an aristocrat for me. I hate the very name of the sarpents, and wish there warn't one in the land.
The master of the vessel sat on a hen-coop, and did not condescend to rise or offer me the least salute as I passed him; he was a short, thick, paunchy-looking fellow. "You are an Englishman, I guess?" "I guess I am," I said, imitating him with a nasal twang. "I thought we shouldn't be long in our waters afore we met some of you old-country sarpents.
"I thought I was a killing a snake," replied Joe. "Do I look like a snake?" continued Sneak, turning round, when for the first time he discovered the condition of his companion's bridle. "Sneak, let's ride away!" said Joe. "And leave all them black sarpents yander poking out their tongues at us? I won't go till I wear out this pole on 'em. Ha! ha! ha!
They come here to build their big war-canoes; and, as these take two and sometimes four years to build, there's always some o' the brown-skins among the black sarpents o' these islands." "By the way, Bill," said I, "your mentioning serpents reminds me that I have not seen a reptile of any kind since I came to this part of the world."
An' afore he could answer, some one else slung another at 'im. It wasn't a trial, miss, it was jist a bunch of sarpents hissin' all the time." "And did Mr. Steadman seem frightened when they wanted to open the chest?" queried Constance, in surprise. "I heerd so." "But why?" "On account of the picter." "The picture?" "Yes.
He well nigh broke Dan Sullivan's jaw, yesterday, in getting out a big tooth; and then swore at the poor boy, for having such a powerful strong jaw. I should like to see his face, if he was asked to pull out a tooth from one of them dancing sarpents. "I brought ye in some fruits, yer honors. I don't know what they are, but you may trust me, they're not poison.
Pierre's, which had lost her spars when she was chased by one of your brass-bottomed sarpents; and I've a notion they paid pretty handsomely too." "But how do you mean to get home again?" "I calculate to get into the stream, and then I'll do very well. If I meet a nor-wester, why then I'll make a signal of distress, and some one will tow me in, I guess."
"Ay! more shame to me that I should ever have done such a thing," replied he, greatly crestfallen; "but I lay the blame of the whole consarn, from beginnin' to end, on that sarpent, though no amount of sarpents will excuse a man fallin' asleep in his watch, more especially when he has charge of the deck." "Well," said I, "you have been pretty well punished for your fault, old man, at all events.
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