“Oh! please be a little more moderate in your estimate,” laughed Mr Meldrum. “I confess I somewhat understated the probable distance; but really, now, fifty miles is a little too much.”
“Wa-al, then, let us call it five-and-twenty,” said the American with a genial grin over his sharp-cut features, which were almost as elongated as his legs. “You can’t grumble at that anyway, I reckon, boss!”
“That’s pretty much like the story of the five hundred cats which came down, I believe, to two, if I’m not mistaken,” slily put in Miss Kate, smiling.
“Now, don’t you be too rough on a feller, missy,” said Mr Lathrope, pretending to be very serious over the matter, in his humorous way. “I cave in to the fifty, that’s a fact, as I kinder wanted to pile on the agony; but when I took my stand to be euchred on twenty-five miles, I meant the distance we’ve tramped over, and nary a bit of the water passage, for my old boots hev got busted up, I guess, and the sooner I git a noo pair the better for this child.”
“Bedad, that’s the same case wid mysilf,” interposed Mr McCarthy, exhibiting the articles he wore as he spoke, which, from their repeated patchings and general state of dilapidation, would certainly have carried off the prize at a curiosity show. “Sure, and it’s walkin’ on my fut I’ve bin the last foor days entirely.”
“You’d have ben a smart coon to have done the contrary, I guess, mister, anyhow,” said the American drily.
“Sure, an’ it’s the sole of me fut I mane, sorr,” explained the first-mate in Hibernian fashion.
“Jest so,” said Mr Lathrope, laughing at the blunder; “and it would puzzle you to walk different, I kalkerlate, that is onless you tried the sole of your head!”
“Well, here we are, no matter what distance we have travelled,” said Mr Meldrum, going back to business; while Frank and Kate, who had not been able to get much conversation together of late, were having a very interesting little tête-à-tête confabulation in a corner, out of ear-shot of the rest. “We shall, however, soon have to separate our forces again, for we must make the next start on our journey by water, which will now be our travelling medium all the way.”
“Be jabers, and it’s glad I am to hear that same!” exclaimed Mr McCarthy, interrupting the speaker in his jubilation at not being forced to walk any more, a means of locomotion to which, from his long life at sea, the first-mate was strangely averse.