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He had thought the matter all over, and was prepared to invest his five hundred dollars in the Dutchman's business, provided the latter had no objections. "It's a pity to creep along in the way you are going," he said, "when so much money might be made in your business by the investment of more capital. Can't you borrow a few hundred dollars?" "Me borrow? Oh, no; nobody lend me few hunnard dollar.
None of the crew, save the young man already mentioned, were hurt, although the Dutchman's seat of honor served as a target for the space of an hour; and the continental captain was deeply mortified at the sudden, and, as he said, 'unaccountable' panic which had seized him. Captain Ward himself was protected by a post, which had been fastened to the gunnel, and behind which he sat while rowing."
For a heated five minutes I believed I was in for very serious trouble with the two men; but in the midst of the argument which was chiefly between Van Ryn and myself Svorenssen intervened, drawing his companion away and saying a few hasty words that seemed to have the effect of wonderfully calming the Dutchman's excitement; and the dispute ended by their admitting rather lamely I thought that since I was evidently master of the situation, they supposed they must make the best of it and accept what I chose to give them.
And there was the green island of Ulva, and there the darker rocks of Colonsay, and farther out, amidst the windy vapor and sunlight, Lunga, and Fladda, and the Dutchman's Cap, changing in their hue every minute as the clouds came driving over the sea. "Mother," said he, "I have not tasted fresh air since I left. I am not sorry to get back to Dare."
"The thing I liked most in that sketch of yours," he was saying a few minutes later, when our boat was on her course, "was the way you listed that Dutchman's cargo. 'One baby carriage to Lahore. A very large picture in five little words. I can see that Hindu baby now being wheeled in its carriage to Crocodile Park and wondering where the devil this queer new wagon came from.
Proud of having associated with a man who had achieved such greatness, I now recalled our early intimacy with tenfold pleasure, and sought to revisit the scenes we had trodden together. The most important of these was the mansion of the Van Tassels, the Roost of the unfortunate Wolfert. Time, which changes all things, is but slow in its operations upon a Dutchman's dwelling.
"I'll just run 'em up to the Dutchman's Flat and stake 'em out thar," interposed Old. "Thar ain't no one thar; and they won't be discovered." "Well," conceded Johnny, "if your horse isn't too tired." "She'll make it," replied Old confidently. "Now for our horses," said Johnny. "Won't do to be getting in at this time of night. It doesn't look natural.
If I was our skipper, I would send a round shot right into the boat, sooner than any of his people should step on this deck. That's just the trick the cursed Dutchman's up to." "No manner o' doubt about it," said Bill gravely; "but you know, Jem, they say the Dutchman's cruising ground is off the Cape, in a full-rigged ship, and I never heard on his coming into these parts."
As they stand and gaze at each other for a long time, the orchestra meanwhile supplying the supposed emotions of each, we have a clew to the method Wagner was afterwards to employ so successfully. The latter also hail the crew of the Dutchman's vessel, but get no reply until the wind suddenly rises, when they man the vessel and sing the refrain with which the Dutchman is continually identified.
We now had a very great advantage over our antagonist, from the fact that all our spars were intact, while he was greatly hampered by the loss of so much head-sail; but the advantage did not remain with us very long, for at the next exchange of broadsides down came our fore-topmast, at the same instant that the Dutchman's mizenmast went over the side.
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