“My dear aunt!” said the captain, wiping his eyes, “you are too absurd.”
“And you laughing too?” she cried indignantly. “I came out into this heathen land out of pure affection for you all, thinking I might be useful, and help to protect the girls, and you let that wretch insult and threaten me. Big white Mary, indeed! I believe you’d be happy if you saw him thrust that horrid, great skewer through me, and I lay weltering in my gore.”
“Stuff, auntie!” cried Uncle Jack.
“Why, he threatened me.”
“Big white Mary got a lot o’ hot damper. Gib Shanter bit.”
“There he goes again!” cried the old lady.
“He doesn’t mean any harm. The blacks call all the women who come white Marys.”
“And their wives too?”
“Oh no; they call them their gins. Come, cut him a big piece of bread, and I’ll start him off. I want for us to get to rest.”
“Am I to cut it in slices and butter it?”