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Captain Battleax, of the John Bright, will have received a letter to the same effect from the First Lord of the Admiralty, and you will find him ready to co-operate with your Excellency in every respect. I have the honour to be, sir, your Excellency's most obedient servant, This I read with great attention, while they sat silent.
Making no resistance, but maintaining her hold on the girl's hair, she stood still and calmly began to scream. The scream was hideously compounded of fright and fear. Yet in her face was neither fright nor fear. She regarded Billy coolly and appraisingly, as if to see how he took it her scream merely the cry to the clan for help. "Aw, shut up, you battleax!"
Sir Ferdinando had been very particular in asking the attendance of Captain Battleax, and as many of the ship's officers as could be spared. This, I was told, he did in order that something of the éclat of his oration might be taken back to England.
On the first seat behind the chair sat Captain Battleax, with four or five of his officers behind him. "So you have left Lieutenant Crosstrees in charge of your little toy," I whispered to Captain Battleax. "With a glass," he replied, "by which he will be able to see whether you leave the building. In that case, he will blow us all into atoms."
"Mr Second Lieutenant, I must hold you responsible for this interruption," said I. "Exactly so. I am responsible, as far as stopping this carriage goes. Had all the town turned out in your favour, and had this gentleman insisted on being carried away to be buried " "Nothing of that kind," said Crasweller. "Then I think I may assume that Captain Battleax will not fire his gun.
"If you will give us your promise to meet Captain Battleax here at this time to-morrow, we will stretch a point and delay the departure of the John Bright for twenty-four hours." To this again I objected violently; and at last, as an extreme favour, two entire days were allowed for my departure. The craft of men versed in the affairs of the old Eastern world is notorious.
"Your promised bride seems to have it all her own way," said Captain Battleax to Jack, when at last the ladies had withdrawn. "Oh yes," said Jack, "and I'm nowhere. But I mean to have my innings before long."
After dinner Captain Battleax simply proposed my health, paying to me many unmeaning compliments, in which, however, I observed that no reference was made to the special doings of my presidency; and he ended by saying, that though he had, as a matter of courtesy, and with the greatest possible alacrity, proposed my health, he would not call upon me for any reply.
The boat had gone ashore and returned before the John Bright had steamed out of the harbour. Then everything seemed to change, and Captain Battleax bade me make myself quite at home. "He trusted," he said, "that I should always dine with him during the voyage, but that I should be left undisturbed during all other periods of the day.
"Captain Battleax cannot remain here long with that expensive toy which he keeps locked up somewhere among his cocked-hats and white gloves. I can assure you he has not even allowed me to see the trigger since I have been on board. But 250-ton swivellers do cost money, and the John Bright must steam away, and play its part in other quarters of the globe.
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