Then, indeed, she made herself known by a powerful scream that caused the horrified man to loose his hold and spring up with a torrent of apologies and self-abuse.
“Och! it’s not possible. Baste that I am! Oh ma cushla astore, forgive me! It’s a gorilla I thought ye was, sure, for I hadn’t time to look, d’ee see. It’s wishin’ you had staved in my timbers intirely I am.”
Rooney’s exclamations were here cut short, and turned on another theme by the sudden appearance of Aileen Hazlit, who soon found that her friend was more alarmed than hurt.
“I am so glad you have found us, and so surprised,” said Aileen, who had met Rooney in England during one of her visits to Joe Baldwin’s abode, “for we have quite lost ourselves.”
Rooney looked a little awkwardly at the fair girl.
“Sure, it’s glad I am myself that I’ve found you,” he said, “but faix, I’m lost too! I do belave, howiver, that somebody’s goin’ to find us.”
He turned his head aside and listened intently. Presently a cry was heard at no great distance. It was replied to by another.
“Pirates,” said Rooney, in a hoarse whisper, drawing a cutlass from his belt.
As he spoke another cry was heard in an opposite direction.
“Friends!” exclaimed Rooney. “Sure we’re surrounded by friends and foes! Come, git into the tree, ladies. I’ll give a hail, an’ if the varmin should come up first, I’ll kape them in play. Don’t show yer purty faces dears, an’ be as aisy as ye can.”