“There, row away!” cried Ram; and as soon as they were well within hearing he answered the hail, and next shouted—
“I’ve come after our cow.”
“Very undignified proceeding, Mr Raystoke,” said the lieutenant, busily walking up and down as the boat with Ram in it was being rowed alongside. “It all comes of being appointed to a wretched, little cobble boat like this, and sent on smuggling duty. If I—if we had been aboard a frigate, or even a sloop-of-war, we shouldn’t have had such an affair as this. Why, confound that boy’s impudence, he has jumped on board. Go and speak to him; order him off; pitch him overboard; anything. How dare he!”
Archy drew himself up, laid one hand upon his dirk, and strutted up to Ram, looking “as big as a small ossifer,” as Dirty Dick said afterwards; and gave him a smart slap on the shoulder as he was going after the cow.
“Here, you sir!” cried Archy, as the boy faced round. “What do you mean by coming aboard one of His Majesty’s ships like that?”
“Eh?”
“Touch your hat, sir, when an officer speaks to you.”
“Touch my hat to you like I do to Sir Risdon?”
“Like you do to any gentleman, sir.”
“Oh, very well,” said Ram giving one of his fair brown curls a tug, and showing his teeth.