“How does it go? Hum the same fur me so I can catch it.”
Chester stood up and “hummed,” but without the slightest resemblance to any tune that the others had ever heard.
“That gits me,” commented Mike, “as Teddy O’Rourke said whin the p’liceman grabbed him. If ye’ll sthrike in I’ll do my best to keep wid ye.”
“No, sir; I decline to play second fiddle to anyone,” and Chester resumed his seat as if in high dudgeon.
At this moment Nora asked of Mike:
“Did you ever make up music for yourself?”
“I have tried once or twice, but didn’t do much.”
“Oh, please sing us something of your own.”
“A leddy on the steamer that brought me over give me some printed words one day wid the requist that I should try to put some music to ’em. I furgot the same till after she had gone, but I’ll make the effort if ye all won’t be too hard on me.”
(This was the only reference that Mike was ever heard to make to the incidents recorded in the previous chapter.)