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Updated: April 30, 2025
Wicked 'uns, some of them, ready enough to learn anything the sailors teach them, but sulky as slugs when you want them to learn anything good." "But there are plenty of them, captain?" said Rodd. "Thicker than crows at home, sir. Then what do you say to monkeys?" "That I should like to see them alive in the forest."
After a time Rodd was attracted towards them, and he strolled up, Joe Cross turning to him at once, to begin questioning him in a low tone. "What does the skipper say, sir?" "He said it was a sloop of war, Joe." "Oh yes, sir, we know that," said the man irritably; "but we've been 'specting him here ever so long. So's our bo'sun. There, look; he's got his pipe in his hand.
Who ever saw a merchantman with such a crew as that? Didn't you see how smart they were in obeying orders and getting down that anchor?" "Why, no smarter than our crew," said Rodd rather indignantly. "Smarter than our crew, Mr Rodd, sir! I should think not!" cried the sailor. "Why, they are French! Still it was very tidy for them. I should like to know, though, what they are.
"I say, uncle, oughtn't he to have saved the schooner from being taken?" "That's one for me, doctor," said the skipper, with a grim smile and a twinkle in his eye. "The boys of this here generation seem to grow up pretty sharp. But he's quite right. They pretty well caught a weasel asleep that time." "But how was it?" cried Rodd. "How was it, my lad?
"Well, captain," put in Rodd, who felt rather amused at what he called the fuss the skipper was making, "why don't you finish what you were going to say?" "Because I didn't think it was needed, my lad," was the reply. "What I meant was, that if the doctor here didn't think it was his duty to give that yellow chap a very strong dose, one of my lads would."
It's all smooth like because as far as you can see it's all like one great bed of floating seaweed, so thick that you can hardly sail through it at times, and if you go out into it in a boat it's as much as you can do to dip your oars." "Have you been out amongst it then?" asked Rodd. "Yes, sir, more'n once.
Do you know, old fellow, I believe there never were any Basutos; also that the venerable Marnham and the lurid Rodd had no real existence, that they were but illusions, a prolonged nightmare no more. Here is your shirt. I am sorry that I have not had time to wash it, but it has cooked well in the sun, which, being flannel, is almost as good."
As they were parting company Rodd was standing right forward close to Cross, who stood spelling out the name of the brig they were leaving behind. "Jenny de Arc" he grunted to Rodd. "That's a rum name for a smart brig like that. Wonder what she is. I never see'd Jenny spelt like that afore. That's the French way of doing it, I suppose."
"If there is any shooting to be done," he was saying, "I think you had better begin with me." His calmness seemed to exasperate Rodd, who lifted the revolver. But I too was prepared, for in that house I always went armed. There was no time to get at the man, who was perhaps fifteen feet away, and I did not want to hurt him.
"Anybody can be a viscount in France if he's got an income of a few hundred francs francs in France of common silver. They rank with golden guineas in your grand old home." "Oh, well, I don't know, uncle I only know that he's the nicest fellow I ever met." "Gush!" cried the doctor. "I won't have it, Rodd. I won't have you making too much of these French people. I don't like them."
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