“’Badiah P. Perks, please mister. Now, then, is it square and confidence, and ’Badiah P. Perks’ friends, or isn’t it?”
“I shall place every confidence in the captain of our vessel, Mr Perks.”
“’Badiah P. Perks, mister.”
“Mr Obadiah P. Perks,” I said.
“Drop that O, stranger. Don’t belong. ’Badiah P. Perks, mister.”
“Mr ’Badiah P. Perks,” I said.
“And my folks calls me Kyaptin,” said the skipper. “Say, it’s wonderful how much ignorance there is ’mongst you Englishers. Wal, I won’t say I’ll take you, stranger, till I’ve brought one o’ these here yellow nigger officers to look over them chesties, and see if there’s anything in ’em as is contraband.”
I could not help changing colour, and the fellow saw it. He suspected my motives evidently, and with a smile he turned to go, reaching the door slowly and then pausing, as if he expected me to call him back, but as I did not he hesitated.
“Say, mister,” he said, “s’pose anny time’ll do for me to bring down the yaller nigger chap?”
I was so wroth with the scoundrel and his cool impudence that I took a defiant tone and said shortly: