"Oh, cher Ger-r-r-r-ai, I vait for you. I know alway zat you live some-me-ware in ze world."
"Did you, miss? Ah! I see. You're one of them what's-his-names wot believe in having another of the opposite sex always a cruising about in search of them. I've never come across one of your speecee before. How do you like it?"
"Oh, I lof you, Ger-r-r-r-ai, and vot do I vant more?" replied the girl, darting a sentimental glance at him over her shoulder as she walked away.
"A deal that you won't get, I reckon," quietly observed the acting warrant-officer, as he watched her across the steerage. "I'll keep on at this game until you lands, and then adoo to polly-woo-frunkse; there's too much of the rile tiger about your style to suit me."
One afternoon, as the ship was running as upright as a dart, Cops was permitted to go forward as far as the booms, and of course was attended by her friend; and as this was to be his last day on the list, he had devoted nearly the whole of it to the child. After telling her some marvellous stories, which the clever "dot" perfectly understood, he told her what the guns said at Canton, and invented a new speech for each piece, Jerry being never tired of talking to her; when suddenly she declared, she was weary, and made him sit down upon a shot box while she told him a story; seeing which a number of men who were lying upon the deck got up and watched the child, as if they could have worshipped her.
"Who is those men?" inquired the little autocrat, pointing to the sailors. "May I play with them?"
The captain and first lieutenant being below, and the men off watch, Thompson thought it would be no harm to indulge his idol, so the sailors were informed they might approach the child, upon which she assumed a severe expression of face and sent them all in the corner, while she plundered her attendant of his silk handkerchief, which she wrapped round a gun-chock and carefully nursed in her lap. After having amused herself for some time, she made them all sit in a circle, then with bated breath told them of the "blume" mouse.
The sailors looked at each other and laughed, upon which, thinking they were not sufficiently attentive, she ordered them all out of her house, and having sent her only love, Jerry, into the corner, drew the handkerchief more tightly round the gun-chock, and bade her baby go to sleep before the mouse came out of the gun. Thompson stood with his face to the ship's side, looking in Barbara's eyes, the very perfection of a naughty boy, when suddenly a hand was laid upon her shoulder, and she heard the voice of Captain Tortle, who roughly told her to go below, as mamma wanted her.
Now, Miss Barbara was an exceedingly dignified child; and Tortle having addressed her as youngster, she pretended not to have heard his speech, but proceeded to scold her naughty boy, who, unmindful of the commander's presence, was still "in the corner."
"Hush, sir!" she observed, when the captain again spoke to her, and added, looking up in his face,—her eyes dilated with excitement,—"Don't you see my baby is asleep? I'm samed of you!"