"I've got goods to sell."
"She don't want rubbish like that, mate."
"Rubbish be--blessed," cried the Cheap-jack, resolved to make a row, and draw the lady from her shell,--now that he knew she was on board,--rather than lose his chance. "You come down and I'll show you if this is rubbish."
The sailor leaned over the iron railing of the bridge, and jeered.
"You go to--Kingdom come," said he, not using those precise words, "give me any of yer lip, and I'll chuck you into the water."
Before he ended, Kind, active as a cat, was swarming up the steps, and the astonished sailor found himself shortly grappling with an exceedingly active opponent. It was a rash thing to do, as Kind did not know the strength of his antagonist, and moreover ran a chance of being imprisoned for starting trouble. All the same, he ran the risk, and swung and swayed with the now enraged mariner, while the swarthy crew hooted and yelled, and stole all the articles they could find in the pack. As Kind guessed, the noise brought out a man in authority, and also the tall, dark lady who had insulted Browne.
"What's all this?" inquired the officer, looking up at the struggling men.
Kind heard the voice, and saw the lady. With an effort he flung his antagonist on the deck, and leaped like a kangaroo from the bridge down on to the lower deck. The fall was a dangerous one, but Kind managed to alight, like a cat, on his feet and almost beside the lady. Scrambling up he began to explain.
"I came along to see this lady," he said, taking off his hat, and gasping for breath, "and my civil inquiry only met with sauce. I was teaching that pirate there some manners."
"Here, get on, you swab," shouted the officer, advancing.