Part 29 (1/1)
Shaping a course from here to pass about a hundred ing to a nor'-ard in 15 degrees south latitude, which was all the more favourable for us, ere able to fetch the Cape of Good Hope in forty-three days froe round the stor aided by the strong current that coh the Mozambique, and so did not cost us any bother at all, as we had fine weather all the time until we turned into the Atlantic
Frohting the Lizard on the 20th Dece into dock on the afternoon of the 22nd of the e to say, too, ere towed up from the Downs by our old friend the Arrow, just as ere towed down the river at starting on our eventful voyage
Captain Gillespie gaveain for another trip early in the following year; and so, bidding my mess-mates a cordial farewell, I was soon in a train onin a bran neicker cage I had bought for hihai, as well as my sea-chest packed full of presents for the home-folk and everybody
It was late in the afternoon of Christmas-eve when I reached the old well-known little station, which seemed to look ever so much smaller than when I left; and the very first person I saho to meet--was Lawyer Sharpe, as ferrety-looking as ever!
He gave lad to see ain, and to have ”ocular demonstration,” as he expressed it, that I had not been lost at sea as was reported; so, I recalled what father had said when I had turned up ht Mr Sharpe no doubt was ether such a tricky custodick's cage withold Doctor Jollop on htest alteration, h there was a little sprinkling of snow on the ground, as befitted the season, it had thawed in the streets of Westham, and as a matter of course the doctor, who always appeared to choose the very ed to collect as s
But, mud or no mud, he was a jolly kind old fellow, and ain to see s I must say it--Lawyer Sharpe pretended to be
”Just back in tias I shook hands with him ”Just in ti as he went into a cottage close by ”And the pills, too; you et them”
Nasty old fellow, as if I wished to be rereeable at such a e gate, when Nellie, as on the watch, although as I've said I was not expected till next day, flew out of the porch and had her arms round my neck, with my mother after her and father and nity not allowing hireeting these all thoughts of Doctor Jollop and his pills and everything else were banished fro at hoain
”And what have you here, Allan?” inquired sister Nellie when all the kissing and hugging was over, and I'd asked and answered at least a thousand questions ”A bird?”
”Yes, a starling,” said I, introducing dick and telling the this a surprise and not hai ”I've brought him home for you, Nellie”
”Oh, thank you, Allan,” she cried, hugging ain ”What a dear little fellow!”
”Ah, wait till you hear hi him my old whistle, ”dick, dick!”
”Hullo!” cracked the starling, so cohing, ”here's a jolly row!”
dick then whistled a couple of bars, which was all he could acco,” after which he ejaculated his favourite expression, ”Bad cess to ye!” in such a faithful imitation of my friend the boatswain's h he said drily, ”Your bird, Nellie, I hope will learn better language when he has been a presently fro theot a Mandarin hat for To her heart, while Ching wang's idol which I gave father especially pleased him He became, too, I may add, all the more deeply interested in this little idol when I told him all the circumstances connected with it, and the impression the Chinaman's devotion to his God had iven a full, true, and faithful account of ht point out to you that I was no longer a ”green” apprentice, but now able to ”reef, hand, and steer,” as ”Old Jock,” or rather Captain Gillespie to speakthe shi+p, expressing the hope of having s of a sailor” into be worth h, soall his kindness to me on board the Silver Queen from almost the first moment I saw him--almost, but not quite, the co todown to Westham for a short visit, if only for a day
Of course, I wrote to hi him, and Tim ca all the hearts at the vicarage before he had been an hour in the place
Father naturally thanked him for all that he had done for me, which made the bashful boatswain blush, while he deprecated all mention of his care of ue, and with that suspicion of mirth which seemed always to hover about his left eye, ”it wor quite a plisure, sure, to sarve him; for he's the foorst lad I iver came across as took so koindly to the thrade 'Dade an' sure, sorr, I belaive he don't think none the worse av it now, by the saive the same anser, sorr, to what I've axed him more nor once since he foorst came aboord us Faix, I'll ax him now, your riverince
Ain't ye sorry, Misther Gray-ham, as how ye iver wint to say, now?”
”No, not a bit of it,” replied I sturdily, in the same way as I had always done to his stereotyped inquiry ”And I'll go again cheerfully as soon as the Silver Queen is ready again for her next voyage”
”There ye are, sorr!” cried Tily ”He's a raal broth av a boy entoirely Sure, he'll be a man afore his mother yit, sorr!”
THE END