“What?” cried Sandy, in his broadest accent. “That not keep me on deck! Man, the merest possibility of such a cawtawstrophy would keep me on deck for a month.”
“A vera judeecious arrangement,” hissed Rory in his ear, for which he was chased round the deck, and had his own ears well pulled next minute. The doctor had him by the ear when Allan and Ralph appeared on the scene.
“Hullo!” they laughed, “Rory got in for it again.”
“Whustle,” cried Sandy.
“I only said ‘a vera—’” began Rory.
“Whustle, will ye?” cried the doctor.
“I can’t ‘whustle,’” laughed Rory. But he had to “whustle,” and then he was free.
“It’s going to be a tough squeeze,” said Silas to McBain.
“Yes; and, worse luck, the swell has set in from the east,” answered the captain.
“I’m off to the Canny Scotia; good morning.”