"I s'pose you gentlemen wouldn't care for a cup o' cocoa?" she ses, turning to them.
Ginger Dick and Peter both said that they liked it better than anything else, and, arter she 'ad got out the cups and saucers and a tin o' cocoa, Ginger held the kettle and poured the water in the cups while she stirred them, and old Sam sat looking on 'elpless.
"It does seem funny to see you drinking cocoa, captin," ses Ginger, as old Sam took his cup.
"Ho!" ses Sam, firing up; "and why, if I might make so bold as to ask?"
"'Cos I've generally seen you drinking something out of a bottle," ses Ginger.
"Now, look 'ere," ses Sam, starting up and spilling some of the hot cocoa over 'is lap.
"A ginger-beer bottle," ses Peter Russet, making faces at Ginger to keep quiet.
"Yes, o' course, that's wot I meant," ses Ginger.
Old Sam wiped the cocoa off 'is knees without saying a word, but his weskit kept going up and down till Peter Russet felt quite sorry for 'im.
"There's nothing like it," he ses to Mrs. Finch. "It was by sticking to ginger-beer and milk and such-like that Captain Small 'ad command of a ship afore 'e was twenty-five."