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At this instant Brown, collecting all his energies for one desperate effort, sprang at once into the centre of the cloud, tore it asunder, and descended to the ground, exclaiming, with a hoarse, furious voice that grated on my ear, 'There, I've got out; dam'me if I haven't! This was the first word that had been spoken through the whole horrible scene.
Have you? Dam'me if I don't think that he forgets where he is. Of course he can be no other than a prime seaman; but it's lucky, all the same, he has me on board. I know by this time what he wants done without being told. Do you know that I have had no order given me since we left port? Do you know that he has never once opened his lips to me unless I spoke to him first?
Ye'd rather be whipped, or tied up by the thumbs, or be kept at the mast-head all night, would ye? Then, dam'me, that's just what I'll do to you. Here, hold on with that boat take this youngster with you, and you can bring back Tom, and leave him to fill the casks for you." Well did the object of his tyranny act his part.
One of them, a youngster of perhaps ten or eleven, who gloried in the euphonious name of Gogo, was particularly assidious in his attentions, and would come close up to us and say, "I-ese i-ese dam'me i-ese!" going into paroxysms of mirth the while, and wrinkling up his handsome little face at the mere remembrance of the water so cold it was hard.
We were cross-legged seated at dinner, between the guns, when the sad news concerning Shenly was first communicated. "I know'd it, I know'd it," said Priming, through his nose. "Blast ye, I told ye so; poor fellow! But dam'me, I know'd it. This comes of having thirteen in the mess. I hope he arn't dangerous, men? Poor Shenly!
All day long men and boys, innocent of even an excuse for clothes, hovered about the ship in bancas or dugouts, chattering volubly with each other in Visayan, or begging us in broken Spanish to throw down coins that they might exhibit their natatorial accomplishments, and, when we finally yielded, diving with yells of delight for the bits of silver, seeming quite as much pleased, however, with chocolates wrapped in tin-foil as they had been with the money, and uttering shrill cries that sounded profanely like "Dam'me dam'me," to attract our attention.
No, Sir; our venerable constitution and mother church itself forbid, and therefore I say, dam'me, lay them aboard, if they refuse us any of our natural rights, or show a wish to bring us down to their own dirty level!" "Reasoned like a countryman of Newton, and an eloquence that would do credit to Cicero!
"You are come, sir," said he, "to those years when you might have learned some reverence for age. As for this young man, who has so lately escaped from the nursery, he may be allowed to divert himself." "Dam'me, sir!" said the officer, "do you call me young?" striking up the front of his hat, and stretching forward on his seat, till his face almost touched Harley's.
Laughing, sputtering, coughing, they would come to the surface, shaking the water out of their bright eyes like so many cocker spaniels, the sun gleaming on their brown skins, their white teeth shining, as they pointed out the complacent victor, who would hold the money up that we might see it, before they would again begin their clamour of "Dam'me dam'me," and go through a pantomime of how quickly each personally would dive and bring it up, did we throw our donation in his direction.
Ive followed the salt-water for the better part of a mans life, and have seen some navigation on the fresh; but this here matter I will say in your favor, and that is, that youre the awkardest green 'un that ever straddled a boats thwart. Them that likes you for a shipmate, may sail with you and no thanks; but dam'me if I even walk on the lake shore in your company.
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