"Ye see, we l'arned by his way o' talkin' that he were a bloomin' Garman, an' I looked to see some fun w'en Cap'n Zhan Four an' him got laid yard-arm to yard-arm. But they couldn't edzackly do that, 'cos w'y, 'cos they was laid bow to bow, like a couple o' buckin' billy-goats in a fight. As soon as ever Cap'n Zhan Four heard the Garman Cap'n talk he jumped clean down off'n the bridge to the fo'c's'le deck an' danced on one foot, while he yelled:
"'Singe cornay of a Allemand!'—w'ich means dog-eared monkey of a Garman, an' are not no perlite way fur one gen'leman to address another at sea—'why do you make to knock a hole in my sheep?'
"'Ach, du dummer aysel!' sez the Garman, sez he; 'wot for you ton't ged your sheep out der vay?'
"'My sheep makes not to be in the way,' sez Cap'n Zhan Four, sez he; 'it is your sheep that comes straight at mine an' runs upon her, unessy pa?'
"'Donnerwetter!' sez the Garman, 'how could I dot help? I vas before der seas, unt you vas behint. Das macht nichts aus!'
"'Silonce!' screeched Cap'n Zhan Four. 'Speak not the accursed tongue of Garmany at me!'
"'Sprechen sie nicht dot frog talk at me!' howls the Garman. 'I speak der lankwitch von my vaterland alvays!'
"'Hoist the French flag!' sez Cap'n Four.
"'Up mit der Garman flag!" sez the Garman.