Part 28 (2/2)
There was no reply
”Taters”
Still no reply
”Not here?” said Mark, anxiously
”Don't sabbee, p'raps, sir I'll try again”
”Taters”
No answer
”Soup”
No reply
”Soup and Taters”
”Aren't aboard,” growled several voices in chorus ”I'm 'fraid the Soup and Taters is done, sir,” said Tom Fillot in a low voice
”Oh, man, man, how can you try to joke at a tirily
”'Tarn't no joke, sir,” cried To to be two good ot minds like a couple o' boys, but the way in which they took to their chew o' 'baccy onderful to behold”
”The men must have overlooked them,” cried Mark ”They were below asleep”
”Nay, sir, they didn't care to go below They was both asleep curled up forrard under the bulwarks They'd had sodown a hatchway”
”Then what do you think about them, Tom?” cried Mark, excitedly
There was no reply
”Why don't you answer, man?”
”Didn't like to tell you, sir,” said To at once”
”Well, sir, I thinks same as my mates do here Them piratical sharks o'
slavers didn't dare to be too hard on us because they knowed if they was ketched arterwards itat all in the air; but when it comes to blacks, they're no rows on braive them poor chaps a crack o' the head apiece, and knocked 'em down, same as they did we, but they wouldn't take the trouble to carry them and pitch them into a boat They just chucked them overboard at once”
”Oh, impossible!” cried Mark, excitedly ”They could not be such brutes”