And he brandished it fiercely.
187“Wing Fan knows all about the family history of rice. He talks to each grain separately,” laughed the Captain.
The boys didn’t praise Wing’s efforts in words, but their appetites kept Wing on the broad grin. He could not resist looking proudly at his employer when Sherm accepted his third saucer of cream.
The Captain invited them into the library to pick out Sherm’s elephant. They were all so interested in the curios and asked so many questions they came near forgetting the boat ride. Ernest picked out a ship’s cutlass the first thing. The Captain took it down for him to examine and he brandished it fiercely.
Captain Clarke smiled. “I fear you wouldn’t do much execution if you handled it that way, Ernest. A cutlass has tricks of its own. Here, this is the way.” He showed the boy how to get the proper hold and how to swing it.
Ernest struck an attitude. “Behold your sailor brother as he skims the briny deep, Chicken Little.”
“Pooh, naval officers don’t carry cutlasses, do they, Captain Clarke?”
“No, I believe the sword used now is straight. But this cutlass has a history I think might interest you.”
“Tell us.”
“If you like. It won’t take long. Boys, will you 188draw up chairs for the girls?” Captain Clarke reached out his hand for a big easy chair nearby at the same moment that Sherm laid his hand upon it to draw it nearer for their host himself. The two hands rested in almost the same position on the opposite arms of the chair. They were singularly alike. Katy, the observing, noticed this instantly.