He seemed so woe-begone, that Teenie could not help saying—
“Ah! but you know, Johnnie, dreams go by contraries.”
“Goes by contrairies, does ’ey now, missie? Well, the old lady never was that way. No, Miss Teenie, summat’s gone to ’appen. We’ll see.”
And off walked Johnnie, sighing.
If dreams ever come true in any way, it depends, I believe, on mere coincidence. But this is strange enough sometimes to make people put faith in them.
Johnnie was soon after busily engaged with the rest of the squad clearing off the weeds and shells from the ship’s sides. They were slung overboard on the bights of ropes, in which they sat with their legs dangling down.
They were all working away right merrily, and Johnnie was perhaps the merriest of the lot.
He had almost forgotten his dream. He only once alluded to it, and that was to say—
“Well, maties, this all looks as if we would soon get clear and sail away for furrin counterees, which my grannie did say in my dream. Says she, ‘Johnnie,’ she says, ‘you’re goin’ home, you is.’”
“La!” said one sailor, “I’ve most forgotten wot home’s like.”