Part 22 (2/2)
He sain as the oars were poised for a minute and then at a word dropped to starboard and larboard with a splash before beginning to dip with rhyth the lines and steering her for her run outward to the sloop
”Well,” said the ood,” was the reply ”Not all I should like, but I've seen enough to say that we ought to get a dozen sa of fellows fro the coast--and Brown picked up a hint or two”
”A , sir?”
”Well, call it what you like Brown thinks there's a cargo to be run soetting it inland”
”What, right under our noses?” said the midshi+pht under our eyes, hton, to hear what the captain and the lieutenant of the cutter have to say”
The sloop's boat passed out between the two arer reco up in Aleck's boat
”A pretty cutter,” he said ”There arn't anything better worth looking at afloat than a man-o'-war's launch or cutter well s again and was an AB once rus has to be as they is Here, let's get all shi+p-shape afore Master Aleck co-bolts a rub or two I like to see his boat look a bit smart
”Wonder what the! So to be run along the shore, and so they've cohed, as he bent over his work
”It's well I know that gaetables for the cook, a look round to find out what's what, and as soon as it's dark a couple o'
well-armed boats to beat up the quarters and a dozen or so o'ht to volunteer; but so until they're obliged, and then they do, and wouldn't co to be a landing to-night Some un must ha' let 'em know Wonder who could do it, for there's a bit o' fun co wouldn't be here for nothing, and there's half a dozenabout
”Well,” he added, after a pause ”I' to tell tales about either side Don't know ling arn't right; nospy and infors and looks on They won't take h, if they did There, that looks quite decent and tidy, that does, and if Master Aleck don't say a word o' praise, why I say it's a shame Well done; just finished in time Here you are, then, my lad Got a load? Why didn't yer let me come and carry it?
Hold hard a er had heard a step on the pier right above him as he stooped and saw the shadow of hiht down upon the thwart and flooring of the boat, theobject, which he carried at ar hi from his bent-down position, when he was conscious of a faint sound and an alteration in the shadow cast dohile the next instant there was a tre crash as of a heavyfull upon the thwart behind hiht upon the first sound, there was a duller andnoise
”Here, hi! Hullo! Here, what in the na bolt upright as he uttered these last words, fully realising what had happened as he stared down at a rugged hole in the frail planking of the botto like a thick, squat, duame d'yer call this, Master Aleck? Eh, not there? I seed his shadder He h like a sixty-four-pound shot Master Aleck! Ahoy! Frightened yerself away,down!”
Toer talked and shouted, but he did not confine hiency The boat see rapidly fro promptly, he hopped on to the next thwart, down into the water in the bottom, which came above his stumps, and then on to the next thwart forward and the locker Fro himself on to the lowest step, where he could seize the boat's painter, fastened to a huge rusty ring in the harbour wall
It was not an to haul the rope rapidly through the ring, just having time to send the boat's head on to one of the steps under water, and hanging on with all his ht, while the water rose and rose aft, till, with the bows still resting on the stone step, the after part of the boat was quite sub over the rail on the top of the cliff a couple of hundred yards or so away, ers, and a score or two of boys playing about soer had said, so on in the town, and as soon as those ashore had done watching the man-o'-war's men and seen the away fro ear to catch the sailor's hails and pass the word on for help, as he hung on to the boat's rope with all hisassured that if he slacked his efforts she would glide off the sliot no breath to waste in hollering,” he panted ”Why, there's a good fathom and a half or two fathoo Wants a couple o' boats to back in, one on each side, and get a rope under her thwarts They could get her ashore then Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! For hie, and then come back and find I've sunk her! I warn't asleep, for I was standin' up at work, so I couldn't ha' dreamed I heard hih But what could he have had in his hands? I see his shadder plain, with a so held up in his hands Paper, didn't he say, he'd coht up in a lump, and heit and to let it co how heavy it was, and then as soon as he see thewith his tail between his legs Why, I wouldn't ha' thought it on hiet a turn o' the rope round anywhere I could hold on easy, but if I roaned; ”it's quite i or a catch anywhere else'd do it, but I've got enough to do to hold on, and if I try any other ood, Tommy, my lad, that there's your job; bite yer teeth hard and hold on Biin to slide and slither; but don't you o your hands with the rope, and then in they'll go, fingers first, into the ring
It's big enough to take your pretty little fists as far as yer knuckleses, and then they'll jahter they'll hold the rope till soht for not being stuck tighter on to the hones Have to grow again, that's all I arn't going to let Master Aleck's boat sink to the bottom if I die for it But, hub, there!
Ahoy! Is everybody dead yonder up town? Why, I'd say bless him now if I could on'y set a hye on the ust o' them boys”