CHAPTER XXI
TELLETH HOW THE SAID FIRE CAME ABOUT
"Lord love me, shipmate, here's you to hang at peep o' day and a-smiling in your dreams!"
"What—Adam!" says I, sitting up.
"In few short hours, Martin, here will be ninety odd souls earnestly seeking to swing you up to the main-yard and you a-slumbering sweet as any innocent babe, and burn me, shipmate, I love you the better for't!"
"What of the fire, Adam?"
"Why, 'twas an excellent fire, Martin, and smoked bravely! What's more it served its divers purposes whiles it lasted."
"Is it out then, Adam?"
"This two hours."
"And what might you mean by its purposes?"