“You shall have it,” said Miss Evans reassuringly.
“If we touched ’em,” said Biddle impressively, “it’d be an assault at lor. ’Sides which, they’d probably muss us up with ’em. All we can do, sir, is to stand by and see fair play.”
“Fair play!” cried the skipper dancing with rage, and turning hastily to the mate, who had just come on the scene. “Take those things away from ’em, Jack.”
“Well, if it’s all the same to you,” said the mate, “I’d rather not be drawn into it.”
“But I’d rather you were,” said the skipper sharply. “Take ’em away.”
“How?” inquired the mate pertinently.
“I order you to take ’em away,” said the skipper. “How, is your affair.”
“I’m not goin’ to raise my hand against a woman for anybody,” said the mate with decision. “It’s no part of my work to get messed up with tar and paint from lady passengers.”
“It’s part of your work to obey me, though,” said the skipper, raising his voice; “all of you. There’s five of you, with the mate, and only three gells. What are you afraid of?”
“Are you going to take us back?” demanded Jenny Evans.