“Get out! Hold your row,” growled the other, protesting.
“Yes, what does he say?” I cried eagerly.
“That if we was to shut ’em up close in the dark and not go anigh, sir, till to-morrow morning, there wouldn’t be nothing left but one o’ their tails.”
“Like the Kilkenny cats, eh?” I said, laughing; and I went back on deck with the desire to see the prisoners stronger than ever.
Captain Thwaites was on the quarter-deck, marching up and down, and the men were hard at work cleaning up, squaring the yards, and repainting. The spars were up in their places again, and the Teaser was rapidly resuming her old aspect, when I saw Mr Reardon go up to the captain.
“I’ll ask leave,” I said. “He has been pretty civil;” and I made up my mind to wait till the lieutenant came away.
“No, I won’t,” I said. “I’ll go and ask the captain when he has gone.”
The next moment I felt that this would not do, for Mr Reardon would be sure to know, and feel vexed because I had not asked him.
“I’ll go and ask leave while they are both together,” I said to myself. “That’s the way.”
But I knew it wasn’t, and took a turn up and down till I saw Mr Reardon salute and come away, looking very intent and busy.