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"So I calls a cutter away, and rowed aboord the San Josef, the men blubberin like a pack o babbies, to break it to Nelson. Like twins, them two, Nelson and your father: that like, ye see! "Well, there was the Commodore on the Don's quarter-deck, Berry beside him, the Spanish Captain afoor him, and behind him a British Jack-Tar tuckin the Spaniards' swords under his arm like so many umberellas.
"Tell ye 'taint etiquette to have men in your tops only in general actions and duels atween ships of the line," he was saying in slow and painful voice, very querulous. "In all my fifty years' experience o sea fightin, I never see sich a thing afoor, never! Dirty trick I call it."
A sudden pool of scarlet seemed to spurt out of the deck and island him. Kit, his work accomplished for him, ran back to the wheel. "Reck'n that's the chap as got me," said old Ding-dong, nodding at the dead man with a certain grim friendliness. "A red-coat, d'ye see? Now what's the meanin o that? I never yeard tell of a privateer carrying regulars afoor."
I inquired ominously. Something akin to a smile flickered round the shaven lips of the descendant of Hengist as, contemplating the lop ears of his horse, he observedly contentedly, "Ees, shure; an' 'hat's f'r w'y Oi be a-teakin' of 'em." "Well, Alf's laid-up; not able to look after them" "Oi 've 'eard 'at yaan afoor." "so I've come to take them back, and leave them at his camp on Mondunbarra."
"Ah," mused the old man, "that'd be a week afoor the First o June; and nigh three years afoor he died." He paused again, rummaging in his memory. "He was Post-Captain at St. Vincent in 1797. In this action the Spanish fleet was in two divisions.
I'll go home with you, and work for you till I drop. O father! how could I leave you for him? I don't care one bit for him now I don't indeed. You'll forgive me won't you, father? Tho. Aw wull, aw do, mo Mattie. Coom whoam coom whoam. Mat. Will mother forgive me, father? Tho. Thi mother, chylt? Hoo's forgiven tho lung afoor ivver so lung agoo, chylt!
He was kind an' gentle an' braw, a-thinkin' bright things an' a-doin' gret deeds. The lad's like 'im, mind ye; he thinks like 'im, he says like 'im, he does like 'im. Truth, I daur say, i' the face o' all o' ye, that no son was ever more like the father than the lad a-settin' yonner is like Robert Burnham was afoor the guid Lord took 'im to 'imsel'."
'My God, Hardin! he screams 'Ger off o my ship! Ger off o my ship! "'Pardon, my lord, says I. 'I've done my dooty as a man, though I may have exceeded it as a sailor! "He called me a blanky pit boy. "'A pit boy I was, my lord, says I, 'and not ashamed on it; and powder-monkey to Hawke afoor your lordship was born. For nigh on fifty years I've touched the King's pay, and ate the King's salt.
This'n's the Cock-ot. Happen you've heard tell of her. That'n's the Cock-it. Sister-ships. And 'ot and 'it they'll be afoor long if I can make em so." He spun the wheel discreetly. "At dawn I found em atween me and Newhaven. So I went about; I wasn't on the fightin lay half my ship's company short, and this here in my pocket for Nelson." He tapped his breast. "Thought I'd run for Dover.
'Fro Masholme, he said, looking at her full, so that she could see all the dark, richly coloured face she had had a curiosity to see; then he added abruptly, 'We're bound Kinder way wi t' sheep reet t'other side o' t' Scout. The woman nodded. 'Aye, I know a good mony o' your Kinder foak. They've coom by here a mony year passt. But I doan't know as I've seen yo afoor. Yo're nobbut a yoong 'un.
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