"You must have seen our supply of
firearms and cartridges, yes?"
"Twenty rifles, twenty-five revolvers, an' enough ammunition to fight a
small war." Stamp ticked off each item slowly and looked at Tagg as
though he expected him to cry "Tally!"
"Ah! That is well put, yes? If we are called on to fight a small war,
as you say, have we got the right sort of men on board? I had to trust
to chance. It was the only way. I could not talk plainly in England,
you see."
"I don't know much about 'em," said Stump. "I can answer for myself an'
Tagg, an' from wot I hear, Mr. King has a heart of the right size. As
for the others, I'll run the rule over 'em between here an' Port Said.
If I have any doubts about one or two, we can ship 'em home on a P. an'
O. But, from the cut of their jibs, most of 'em are deserters from the
Royal Navy, an' the remainder are army reserve men. That sort of crowd
is pretty tough, eh, Tagg?"
"Tough!" echoed Tagg. "If they're 'lowed to eat three solid meals every
day like the Lord Mayor's banquets they've put out o' sight since they
kem aboard, there'll be no holdin' 'em.
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