“Jerryboosalum!” exclaimed Jake, when, presently, he emerged all dripping and triumphant from the blood-stained waters. “We pay out dem debbels for ebberybody now. You nebber see dem come back hyar agin, I’se bet.”
Nor did we.
There was no doubt of the rapacious brutes having been finally scared away.
“You’re a couple of brave fellows,” cried Captain Miles when the two avengers climbed back in again on to the poop bulwarks, after thus carrying the war into Egypt, routing the foes that had kept us so long prisoners, and prevented us from doing anything towards righting the ship. “Now, I think, we can make another attempt to find that axe of the carpenter’s in the fo’c’s’le, if you are not too tired, Jake, to go in after it again?”
“Bress you, no, Mass’ Captain, me no tire’ at all! Me get axe in brace ob shakes, if um dar,” answered the willing fellow, laughing and showing his shining ivory teeth as he opened his mouth from ear to ear; and, almost as soon as he had uttered the words, he ran along the bulwarks towards the fore part of the ship, scrambled out into the main rigging, and dived into the sea immediately over the opening into the forecastle, at the same spot where he had previously gone down.
Once, twice, he came up to the surface again to take breath after a lengthened stay under the water; but, each time he rose with empty hands.
A third time he reappeared, still unsuccessful; and then we began to give up hope, although watching him all the while with the most intense anxiety.
None spoke a word, hardly daring to move.
Our interest in his actions was keen to intensity!
Our fate seemed trembling in the balance.