Part 38 (1/2)

”Not her, she's the Commander's wife.”

Ben shook his head, for this, he felt, was the one thing Tommy could not do. ”Well, then,” growled Tommy, ”if she winna be that, she'll have to serve before the mast, for I tell you plain I'll have no single women on board.”

”And what am I, forby Ben the Boatswain?”

”Nothing. Honest men has just one name.”

”What! I'm just one single man?” Corp was a little crestfallen. ”It's a come down,” he said, with a sigh, ”mind, I dinna grumble, but it's a come down.”

”And you dinna have 'Methinks' now either,” Tommy announced pitilessly.

Corp had dreaded this. ”I'll be gey an' lonely without it,” he said, with some dignity, ”and it was the usefulest swear I kent o'.

'Methinks!' I used to roar at Mason Malcolm's collie, and the crittur came in ahint in a swite o' fear. Losh, Tommy, is that you blooding?”

There was indeed an ugly gash on Tommy's hand. ”You've been hacking at yoursel' again,” said the distressed Corp, who knew that in his enthusiasm Tommy had more than once drawn blood from himself. ”When you take it a' so real as that,” he said, uncomfortably ”I near think we should give it up.”

Tommy stamped his foot. ”Take tent o' yoursel'!” he cried threateningly.

”When I was tracking Stroke I fell in with one of his men, and we had a tussle. He pinked me in the hand, but 'tis only a scratch, bah! He was carrying treasure, and I took it from him.”

Ben whistled. ”Five s.h.i.+llings?” he asked, slapping his knee.

”How did you know?” demanded Tommy, frowning, and then they tried to stare each other down.

”I thought I saw you pouching it,” Corp ventured to say.

”Boatswain!”

”I mean,” explained Corp hurriedly, ”I mean that I kent you would find a wy. Didest thou kill the Jacobite rebel?”

”He lies but a few paces off,” replied Tommy, ”and already the vultures are picking his bones.”

”So perish all Victoria's enemies,” said Ben the Boatswain, loyally, but a sudden fear made him add, with a complete change of voice, ”You dinna chance to ken his name?”

”Ay, I had marked him before,” answered Tommy, ”he was called Corp of Corp.”

Ben the Boatswain rose, sat down, rose again, ”Tommy,” he said, wiping his brow with his sleeve, ”come awa' hame!”

CHAPTER XXVII

THE LONGER CATECHISM

In the meantime Mr. McLean was walking slowly to the Quharity Arms, fanning his face with his hat, and in the West town end he came upon some boys who had gathered with offensive cries round a girl in a l.u.s.tre jacket. A wave of his stick put them to flight, but the girl only thanked him with a look, and entered a little house the window of which showed a brighter light than its neighbors. Dr. McQueen came out of this house a moment afterwards, and as the two men now knew each other slightly, they walked home together, McLean relating humorously how he had spent the evening. ”And though Commander Sandys means to incarcerate me in the Tower of London,” he said, ”he did me a good service the other day, and I feel an interest in him.”

”What did the inventive sacket do?” the doctor asked inquisitively; but McLean, who had referred to the incident of the pa.s.s-book, affected not to hear. ”Miss Ailie has told me his history,” he said, ”and that he goes to the University next year.”

”Or to the herding,” put in McQueen, dryly.

”Yes, I heard that was the alternative, but he should easily carry a bursary; he is a remarkable boy.”