"The Narva man; you know well enough!" said Jack.
Michail crossed himself very devoutly. "Barin!" he said; "as if I would act with that skoteena!" (rascal)
"Come, Michail," continued Jack, "will ten roubles do it?"
"There is nothing to tell of myself," said Michail reflectively; "but for the sum of money mentioned, I might possibly be induced to tell you something that I heard him say to one of our men in the fo'c'sle."
"Well," I said, "go on Michail. It sounds promising. When did he say it, and what did he say?"
"It was yesterday," replied Michail; "you two were walking on deck, and I saw him point to you and say those two passengers had the worst tempers of any two men he'd ever seen; they go mad angry every two or three days, he said, and tear around, playing Old Harry with everything. Very likely they'll want to be landed in the middle of the North Sea, and they'll paint everything red till they're allowed, too; and I shan't be there to see the fun, he said, for I shall have been put ashore at Copenhagen."
"What did he mean by that? You're romancing, Michail!" said Jack severely.
Michail replied that he would scorn to tell us anything but the plain truth, though he was always glad to tell that—for a consideration.
"Well, you've earned nothing yet, my friend; the ten roubles remain with me, so far. You'd better remember a little more if you want the money."
"That was all the skoteena himself said," Michael continued; "but if the barins desire it, I will tell them what some of those in the fo'c'sle thought about it."