This, however, did not abash the "full moon," for he advanced closer, and laid one burly hand upon the railing beside her.
"Now, (hic) see here, my beloved Miss Moriarty," he began, but before he could proceed further, a foppishly attired young Jew, with red hair and a hooked nose, stepped forward and slapped the Fourth Ward man on the shoulder.
"Yoost you bounce oud, mine friend," he said. "Der young lady don'd vas vant some off your attention."
"Hello! who in blazes are you?" Muldoon demanded, gruffly, not offering to move. "I are Muldoon, ther solid man, I am, an' I allow I kin lick any man on (hic) ther boat."
"That don'd make any difference. Dot young lady don'd vant you near her, und uff you don'd vas gone away, right off quick, I'll throw you oud—dot's der style off an excursionist I am!" cried the Jew.
"Oho! you wull, wull you? You'll throw me out, hey?—me Full-moon Muldoon, ther solid man? I'll hev a kiss from the girl an' then I'll heave yer Israelite carcass overboard for the fishes."
And, making a drunken lunge forward, he threw his arms about the young lady's neck, amid indignant cries of a crowd of bystanders, and attempted to kiss her.
But he failed in his purpose, for she pluckily threw him off, and the next instant the Jewish-looking young man came to her rescue.
Seizing the rough by the coat and trousers he jerked him away; then with the strength of a Hercules, raised him from the floor and hurled him forward down the cabin stairway to the lower deck.
A cheer of approval at once went up from the larger share of the spectators, and the Dutchman became the hero of the hour.