“I say, Tom, now since little Reefy is asleep—what think you big craft that—nearly caught a Tartar—not very sorry he has escaped, eh?”
“Why, my dear sir, I trust he has not escaped; I hope, when the day breaks, now since we have less wind, that we may have a tussle with him yet.”
“No, you don’t wish it, do you, really and truly?”
“Indeed, I do, sir; and the only thing which bothers me is the peril that you and your friends must necessarily encounter.”
“Poo, poo, don’t mind us, Tom, don’t mind us; but an’t he too big for you, Tom?”
He said this in such a comical way, that, for the life of me, I could not help laughing.
“Why, we shall see; but attack him I must, and shall, if I can get at him. However, we shall wait till morning; so I recommend your turning in, now since they have cleared away the cockpit out of the cabin; so good-night, my dear sir—I must stay here, I fear.”
“Good-night, Tom; God bless you. I shall go and comfort Wagtail and Paul.”
I was at this time standing well aft on the larboard side of the deck, close abaft of the tiller-rope, so that, with no earthly disposition to be an eavesdropper, I could neither help seeing nor hearing what was going on in the cabin, as the small open skylight was close to my All vestiges of the cockpit had been cleared away, and the table was laid for supper. Wagtail and Gelid were sitting on the side I stood on, so that I could not see them, although I heard every word they said. Presently Bang entered, and sat down opposite his allies. He crossed his arms, and leant down over the table, looking at them steadily.
“My dear Aaron,” I could hear little Wagtail say, “speak, man, don’t frighten a body so.”