Part 11 (2/2)
”Don't let's hev another 'thout somethin' between,” said Dan; and the accordion struck up a rattling, catchy tune that ended:
”It's six an' twenty Sundays sence las'the land, With fifteen hunder quintal, An' fifteen hunder quintal, 'Teen hunder toppin' quintal, 'Twix' old 'Queereau an' Grand!”
”Hold on!” roared Tom Plait ”D'ye want to nail the trip, Dan? That's Jonah sure, 'less you sing it after all our salt's wet”
”No, 'tain't Is it, dad? Not unless you sing the very las' verse You can't learnon Jonahs!”
”What's that?” said Harvey ”What's a Jonah?”
”A Jonah's anything that spoils the luck Sometimes it's a man--sometimes it's a boy--or a bucket I've known a splittin'-knife Jonah two trips till as on to her,” said Tom Plait ”There's all sorts o' Jonahs Jies I'd never shi+p with Jireen dory on the Ezra Flood Thet was a Jonah too, the worst sort o' Jonah
Drowned four hts in the nest”
”And you believe that?” said Harvey, re what Toot to take what's served?”
A mutter of dissent ran round the bunks ”Outboard, yes; inboard, things can happen,” said Disko ”Don't you gofeller”
”Well, Harve ain't no Jonah Day after we catched hiood catch”
The cook threw up his head and laughed suddenly--a queer, thin laugh
He was aJack ”Don't do that again, doctor We ain't used to Ut”
”What's wrong?” said Dan ”Ain't he our ood after we'd struck him?”
”Oh! yess,” said the cook ”I know that, but the catch iss not finish yet”
”He ain't goin' to do us any harin' to? He's all right”
”No harm No But one day he will be your master, Danny”
”That all?” said Dan, placidly ”He wun't--not by a jugful”
”Master!” said the cook, pointing to Harvey ”Man!” and he pointed to Dan
”That's news Haow soon?” said Dan, with a laugh
”In some years, and I shall see it Master and man--man and master”
”How in thunder d'ye work that out?” said Tom Platt
”In my head, where I can see”
”Haow?” This from all the others at once
”I do not know, but so it will be” He dropped his head, and went on peeling the potatoes, and not another word could they get out of his'll hev to colad the doctor ain't choosen to mark him for a Jonah Now, I ardin' his own special luck Dunno ef it's spreadin'
saht to be on the Carrie Pitear make no differ to her driftin' Jimmy Christmas! She'll etch loose in a flat ca'am”
”We're well dear o' the fleet, anyway,” said Disko, ”Carrie Pit on the deck