“Thanks for your kind services,” said Mr Meldrum. “I would have been down before, but was too busy on deck.”
“I know,” replied the other, nodding his head—“helping the captain out of the muss, eh? That wer an allfired smash, though! Done much hurt?”
“Yes,” said Mr Meldrum guardedly, with a glance at the girls; “but the mischief’s over now for the present, though.”
“I see, I see,” whispered Mr Lathrope; “I don’t need nary nother explanation, mister. I hev shed my eye-teeth, I hev, and thar’s no use in skearin’ folks. That madam the Meejur, now, has been going on tree-men-jus, an’ it has ben as much as your gal could kinder dew to get her to quiet down. Jee-rusalem! but she wer goin’ to have the cap’en up on court-martial, an’ the steward tarred and feathered, an’ the Lord knows what! Then, too, ther wer that b’y of hern, squalling like a frog in a fit, the durned young imp, I’d lief have skinned him! If it hadn’t been for your gal, they’d have raised thunder aboard, they would: you oughter be kinder proud, mister, to hev sich a sensible young woman fur yer darter! She warn’t a bit skeart when the shock came; but braced herself up as cool as a cowcumber, and thar she’s ben, keeping them noisy folks quiet, and tendin’ her little siss like a Christian!”
“Indeed I am proud of her,” said Mr Meldrum, gazing at Kate fondly; “but you say nothing about yourself. You’ve been making yourself of use too.”
“Snakes and alligators, mister, I ain’t worth a corn-chuck alongside of your gal! In course, I wer a bit flabbergasted when we collided just now—with one of them hammocks of ice, I guess, hey!”
“Yes,” said Mr Meldrum, “we ran against an iceberg, and a pretty big one too.”
“I thought so,” continued the other. “But you knows me by this time. I never gets upsot by no matter what happens, so I jest fixes on one of them life-belts I always has handy whenever I travels on them high-pressure steamboats we hev on the Mississippi—whar you run the chance of getting busted up regular every trip—and thar I turned out of my cabin slick for anything, so I wer able to help miss, har, in shaking down that dreadful old screech-owl yander, and plaster up little missy arterwards.”
“How’s your arm now?” asked Mr Meldrum kindly.
“Oh, the durned thing’s all right, only a bit stiff. Madam gave it a squoze jist now when I histed her off the floor, whar she got throwed down and wer bellowin’ like a mad bull in fly time. That made the pain grip me agin; but I dessay it’s all right now for a scrimmage if needs be.”