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"I may as well spare my breath to cool my porridge! I assure you, Mr Stormcock, I have no wish to bore you." "Do tell us about the cow, sir," I interposed anxiously, afraid he would not continue his story. "I have often heard Dad, I mean my father, speak about Admiral Napier; and, I saw him myself when I was in London last summer. It was he who got me my nomination for a cadetship."
"That's right, youngster," put in Mr Stormcock. "Stick up for your friend. I didn't mean anything against him for a moment, for I always found him a good sort of chap; though, I can't say I had very much to do with him." "Well, for my part, I won't say I'm sorry he has lost the number of his mess," said that brute Andrews.
"Then you can tell Mister Stormcock, with my compliments, that unless he looks after the mess catering better, he'll precious soon find himself in foul weather with me!"
Bedad, an' I will, too, for I've got my hands left all right an' a straight oye, an', I'll have a slap at 'em ag'in, sure, by your leve, sor!" "Carry on!" cried Mr Stormcock, who had been assisting to wedge up the gun so that it could be still fired, only the carriage having been injured by the shot.
Jones, don't get your jaw tacks aboard now," cried Mr Stormcock, as I pricked up my ears on hearing the name of Sir Charles Napier, Dad's old captain. "We've heard that yarn of yours three times at least since we started fitting out; and, I'm hanged if it'll stand telling again!" "Oh, very well, then," said the whiskered gentleman in a displeased tone.
Take my advice, Vernon, and don't you have anything to do with it!" "I won't," I replied. "Have you ever tasted it, Mr Stormcock?" He looked at me hard, thinking at first that I meant to chaff him; but seeing that I asked the question in perfect good faith, without any intention of alluding to his reported "little weakness," he proceeded to answer me, truthfully enough.
"Hey!" exclaimed Mr Stormcock, a bit puzzled at this. "What do you mean?" "I don't mean a dry nurse, you know, old chappie, though you said, you were `dry' just now," replied Larkyns, laughing at his own joke. "Nor do I mean a wet 'un. No, old chappie, I mean a wetter-un, do you twig?"
Really, he explained the various steps necessary in order to work out the reckoning in such a simple way that I understood it thoroughly; learning more in this one lesson from Mr Stormcock than I had done, I think, during the three months that I had studied navigation while on board the training-ship Illustrious. I learnt even yet more.
"Jist kape hopping about an' faith ye'll niver be hit, sure. Och, murther, what's that now?" As he jerked out the sudden exclamation, he certainly acted up to his advice; for, he gave a hop that took him some ten feet in the air ere he fell down on the deck, all covered with blood. "Poor Macan!" said Mr Stormcock, bending over his prostrate form, and trying to lift him in vain.
"The `old man's' right," I heard the master say to Mr Stormcock when the captain had disappeared. "The corvette was on the right of our line when we bombarded Odessa; and I recollect she missed stays when tacking, and pretty nearly came aboard us." "By jingo," replied Mr Stormcock, enthusiastically, "what an eye the old man has for a ship, and what a memory for signals!
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