Part 19 (2/2)
He gave Bob a curious look and strolled away, leaving that gentleman with his face screwed up in a hich
”Oh yes, it's all very well for you to grin,” grumbled Bob; ”you're out of the wood He don't like ets”
”Then you should have been more careful about what you said”
”Well, I was I do believe he'd like to have me down in his cabin to cut up for experih! the old wretch!”
he continued, with a shudder
”Hallo! what's the matter now?” he added, as the lasses were rapidly brought to bear upon a point miles away down south, where a few palh the hot haze
”What do youofficer, who had gone aloft
”Barque, sir Sht in There e river”
”No mention of any bay or harbour there,” said the captain ”Looks bad--or good,” he added ”What else can you , sir The trees hide her now coentle us, and it will be our fault if she gets away We must have no mistake this time”
”Hurray!” whispered Bob to his companion ”Prize-money at last”
”Chickens,” said Mark
”What do you mean?”
”Don't count 'em till they're hatched”
”Get out, croaker!”
Just then the two blacks ca very smart in their white sailor trousers, and not a little proud of their straw hats
Each htened up and displayed his teeth, as he saw theincomprehensible in reply to Bob's ”How do, Soup? How are you, Taters?” and passing on
”I say,” said Mark, ”it's too bad to nickname the poor fellows like that”
”Not a bit of it What's in a nah, and the men like 'em”
”Yes, of course they do Whoever heard of a sailor who didn't like a bit of fun of that kind?”
”Oh, then you call it fun?”
”Yes--ill-natured fun”
”Bother! Here's the skipper Let's see, or we shall be lectured”
But Captain Maitland was too eager about the sailing of his shi+p, and paid no heed to theround the land in front, and overhauling the stranger, as now quite out of sight beyond the point, and it took two hours to get within sight again But they found that, instead of there being a river, the coast turned sharply to the east, and the barque, in place of being close to the steadily away east and south, and farther from them than ever