“That clipper name has been a pleasant memory for me,” admitted Captain Bent conservatively.
“In spite of the lickings?” inquired the old master, cocking his eye.
“Yes; they had their part in teaching me to respect orders, making me understand as master what orders mean aboard ship.” There was a hint of tenderness in the tone. Instantly he became brusque again. “I saw none of your crew on deck, sir.”
“Their minds ain’t edzackly on seafaring at the present time,” stated Captain Coombs demurely. “I didn’t want any of the poor fellers to miss footing and tumble overboard,” he went on, cooing his words. “They was pretty sleepy, anyway. But I took no chances. I fixed it so they’re sleeping all calm and sweet, like babies. I used a belaying pin.”
The two captains looked at each other, neither showing as much as the glint of a smile.
“The shipping laws these days oblige us to be very considerate in treatment of men before the mast,” observed Captain Bent dryly. “I compliment you, sir, for care in keeping your crew out of trouble. May I ask what about the woman and the children I saw on board?”
“You have spoke about the sourest plums in this infernal duff, Captain Bent. I run acrost the woman and the younkers, stowaways in the lazareet, after I had found there wasn’t clams in them tin cans.”
He folded his sou’wester and flailed it against his knee. “Not for a minit am I laying anything against you for seizing me and the packet, now you’ve done it. You have only shortened up the devilish projecking I was having with myself. I didn’t grab your line because I was hoping I could projick a way out of my mess if coast-guarders could be shooed off. I always did hate to give up beat, you know that much about me! But I reelize I was plumb licked in this case even before your cutter hove in sight. The woman is Jeth Wallace’s wife. Them’s her little shavers. She managed to sneak herself and them on board. Seeing as how Jeth has gone in snucks with the devil, so she says, she allows she is saving herself and the children from the fires of Tophet. Where I’m pers’nally concerned she was brought along a pan of dam-fired hot coals, as you might say.” Captain Coombs stuck up two gnarled fingers, straddling them into a V.
“She is giving me two options. I can either turn packet and cargo over to the prohibitioners and lay down and whine for mercy with four paws in the air, else she will pass word, she threats, that I got gay and asked her to elope, children and all.”
“Nobody would take stock in such a yarn! You elope with a ready-made family? Bah!” Captain Bent sliced the air with flattened palm.