Part 12 (1/2)
”Ay, 'twould ha' been nicer, I dessay, matey.”
”Course it would. You see they allus has the right tackle for everything, and a proper pocket or case to keep it in. Look at Mr Panton there, with that there young double-barrelled spy-gla.s.s of his'n.”
”Ay, they've each got one-sidy sort o' little barnacle things as they looks through to make bits o' stone and hinsecks seem big.”
”Now, we wants to wash our hands, don't us?”
”Ay, we do, matey,” said Smith, raising his to his nose.
”Mine smell a bit snakey and sarpentine, I must say.”
”Steam or smoke?” said Drew.
”Both, I think,” replied Panton, closing his gla.s.s.
”Then the savages has got the pot on and it's cooking,” whispered Smith.
”I hope it don't mean a mate.”
”Whatcher talking in that there Irish Paddy way?” grumbled Wriggs.
”Can't you say meat?”
”Course I can, old mighty clever, when I wants to. I said mate.”
”I know you did, Tommy, and it's Irish when you means cooking meat.”
”Which I didn't mean nothing o' the sort, old lad, but mate. I meant, I hoped the savages hadn't got hold of one of our messmates and was cooking he.”
”What! Cannib.a.l.l.s?” whispered Wriggs, looking aghast. ”Why not?
There's plenty on 'em out in these 'ere parts, where the missionaries ain't put a stopper on their little games, and made 'em eat short pig i'stead o' long.”
”Come, my lads, forward!” said Oliver, who seemed to have quite got over his adventure.
”Beg pardon, sir,” said Smith, ”we ain't got no weepons 'cept our jack-knives; had we better sc.u.mmage up to 'em?”
”Skirmish? Oh, no; there is nothing to mind.”
”That's what the farmer said to the man about his big dog, sir, but the dog took a bit out of the man's leg.”
”But that wasn't a dog, Smith, it was a cat.”
”What, out here, sir, 'long o' the savages? Think o' their keeping cats!”
”No, no, you don't understand. There are no savages here.”
”Why, a-mussy me, sir, I see one looking over the stones yonder with my own eyes.”
”You saw a big, cat-like creature, with its round, dark head. It must have been a panther, or leopard, or something of that kind.”