“Indeed I do, my lad.”
“Then I’m your man,” returned the small boy emphatically, “putt me down for that sitooation; send for a lawyer, draw up the articles, I’ll sign ’em right off, and—”
“Gillie, my boy,” interrupted the Captain, “one o’ the very first things you have to do in larnin’ to behave yourself is to clap a stopper on your tongue—it’s far too long.”
“All right, Capp’n,” answered the imp, “I’ll go to Guy’s Hospital d’rectly and ’ave three-fourths of it ampitated.”
“Do,” said the Captain, somewhat sternly, “an’ ask ’em to attach a brake to the bit that’s left.
“Now, lad,” he continued, “you’ve got a very dirty face.”
Gillie nodded, with his lips tightly compressed to check utterance.
“And a very ragged head of hair,” he added.
Again Gillie nodded.
The Captain pointed to a basin of water which stood on a chair in a corner of the room, beside which lay a lump of yellow soap, a comb, and a rough jack-towel.