“Be jabers!” ejaculated the first mate, “it’ll never do to lave it there. Sure and we’d be onlucky altogether if a cat came to harm in the old ship! I didn’t know it was aboord at all, at all. Sure an’ there’s no knowing but what all our misfortunes have been brought about by the same baste, bad cess to it?”
“Oh, Mr McCarthy!” exclaimed Kate, “how can you believe that?”
“Sure, and I mane it,” answered the Irishman promptly, as if he put the greatest faith in the superstition.
“Well,” said Mr Meldrum, “I’m sorry for the poor animal; but it will have to stop there now! The sea is very rough, and I would hardly like to risk men’s lives to save a cat!”
“I’ll go back for it, sir,” volunteered Frank Harness with a look at Kate, which said as plainly as looks could speak that he was ready to do a good deal more than that to please her. “You were speaking just now of sending off the jolly-boat to fetch what we could from the wreck; so we can bring the poor cat on shore at the same time.”
“Yes, I certainly did suggest that just now,” said Mr Meldrum; “but, as Mr McCarthy pointed out, there is a good deal of sea on, and—”
“Sure, but I said, sorr, I’d go if you liked,” interrupted the first mate eagerly, not wishing to be behindhand when Frank had offered; “and, faix, I’m ready at once.”
“Let the durned animile slide,” put in Mr Lathrope. “It ain’t worth a cent, much less such a tall price as yar life.”
“No, we won’t,” said Mr McCarthy, all anxiety now to start. “Who’ll volunteer to go back to the wreck and save the cat!” he called out aloud.
“I will,” and “I,” and “I,” cried out several of the seamen, laughing and passing all sorts of chaff about the expedition; and soon there were more than enough offers to man the jolly-boat twice over if all had been taken who offered.