"But won't there be a glorious row to-morrow?" Dicky squeaked. He was frightened about it already.
CHAPTER XIX
The Captain Receives a Present
"Old Lest" Flares Up—Recaptured from the Ringdove—Sally Again
Written by Captain Marshall, Royal Marine Light Infantry
Old Truscott has asked me to write this chapter, because he says that he is so confoundedly busy paying off the old Vigilant, that he hasn't a moment to himself.
That is his reason for not being bothered with the job; but for all that he manages to get into plain clothes all right, and fly to the beach and the bosom of his family, directly after evening "quarters" every day. He is so beastly happy, that I don't really mind shoving another chapter into this immortal book for him.
Although it is three months since we left Hong-Kong, I shall never forget old Rashleigh, in frockcoat and sword, coming fuming on board there, and wanting to see the Skipper about that wretched pop-gun which he swore we had stolen from him during the night.
I most distinctly remember having assisted to hoist something on board, at a most unusual hour of the night, but of course it was much too dark for anyone to be able to swear their Bible oath that it was his gun, though it certainly seemed to be wonderfully like it.
I said "good morning" to him as kindly as I could, and mentioned the fact that we were having very seasonable weather for this time of the year; but he was most distinctly rude, and when I saw his little eyes sticking out of his head, squinting round the quarterdeck and expecting to see his gun there, I nearly died of laughing.