At this moment Judy Malony came pattering along the wet deck with a kid of potato-peelings to throw over the bows. Newton recognised her, and thanked her for her kindness.
“It’s a nice boy that you are, sure enough, now that you’re swate and clean,” replied Judy. “Bad luck to the rapparee who gave you the blow! I axed my husband if it was he; but he swears upon his salvation that it was no one if it wasn’t Tim O’Connor, the baste!”
“Where are we going?” inquired Newton.
“A’nt we going to dinner in a minute or two?”
“I mean where is the cutter bound to?”
“Oh! the cutter you mane! If she can only find her way it’s to Plymouth, sure;—they’re waiting for ye.”
“Who is waiting for us?”
“Why, three fine frigates as can’t go to sea without hands. You never heard of a ship sailing without hands; the poor dumb craturs can’t do nothing by themselves.”
“Do you know where the frigates are going?”
“Going to say, I lay my life on’t,” replied Judy, who then walked forward, and broke up the conversation.