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Who are ye? Be you a waister, or be you not?" So saying, one of this peevish, sottish band staggered close up to Israel. But there was a deck above and a deck below, and the lantern swung in the distance. It was too dim to see with critical exactness. "No such singing chap belongs to our gang, that's flat," he dogmatically exclaimed at last, after an ineffectual scrutiny. "Sail out of this!"
"Where's t'other boot?" cried a suspicious-eyed waister. "I remember them 'ere boots. They were old Bob's the quarter-gunner's; there was two on 'em, too. I want to see t'other boot."
"Is this the riglar fruits of liberty?" touchingly inquired an Irish waister of an old Spanish sheet-anchor-man. You will generally observe that, of all Americans, your foreign-born citizens are the most patriotic especially toward the Fourth of July. But how could Captain Claret, the father of his crew, behold the grief of his ocean children with indifference? He could not.
The melodious sounds thence issuing, continually draw tears from the eyes of the Waisters; reminding them of their old paternal pig-pens and potato-patches. They are the tag-rag and bob-tail of the crew; and he who is good for nothing else is good enough for a Waister.
"Deep enough to sink you and your notions and all that's like to come of 'em. Darned if I ain't got the most lubberly company ever mortal man was plagued with. Officers and men, there en't one of you as is worth your salt, and you with your long face and your notions why, hang me, you're no more good than the dirtiest waister afloat." Mr. Toley smiled sadly, and ventured on no rejoinder.
Here he was suitably received by Fid, who raised him to his side; and, having placed him comfortably between the yard and the boom, he proceeded to secure him by a lashing that would give the tailor the proper disposition of his hands. "Bouse a bit on this waister!" called Richard, when he had properly secured the good-man; "so; belay all that."
Many was the gaping waister, and rigid marine, who now made a more familiar acquaintance with the element on which he floated than suited either his convenience or his humour.
"It's worse than the cholera!" cried a man of the After-guard. "I'd sooner the water-casks would give out!" said a Captain of the Hold. "Are we ganders and geese, that we can live without grog?" asked a Corporal of Marines. "Ay, we must now drink with the ducks!" cried a Quarter-master. "Not a tot left?" groaned a Waister. "Not a toothful!" sighed a Holder, from the bottom of his boots.
For though this waister was so ignoble a mortal, yet his being scourged on this one occasion indirectly proceeded from the mere wanton spite and unscrupulousness of the midshipman in question a youth, who was apt to indulge at times in undignified familiarities with some of the men, who, sooner or later, almost always suffered from his capricious preferences.
"Gives me the fever nagur to look at it," echoed a mizzen-top-man. "Silence!" cried the auctioneer. "Start it now start it, boys; anything you please, my fine fellows! it must be sold. Come, what ought I to have on it, now?" "Why, Purser's Steward," cried a waister, "you ought to have new sleeves, a new lining, and a new body on it, afore you try to shove it off on a greenhorn."
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