But
Stump's slow-moving wits, given full time to get under weigh, were
working freely; punctuating each pause with a flourish of his pipe, he
continued:
"Lord love a duck, I can see Tagg blowin' in to a snug in the West
Injia Dock Road, an' startin' ev'ry yarn with, 'W'en I sailed down the
Red Sea with Sir Richard--' or, 'We was goin' through the Gut on a
dirty night, an' Sir Richard sez to me--' Well, there, I on'y hope 'e
survives the fust shock. W'en 'e gets 'is wind we'll 'ave a fair treat.
Mind ye, I 'ad a sort of funny feelin' when you tole me in the train
you was my second mate, an' you sat there a-wearin' knickers. It gev me
a turn, that did. An' then, you took another twist at me by sayin'
you'd never bin to sea. I knew things was goin' to happen after that.
It must ha' bin, wot d'ye call it--second sight--for I knew then an'
there I'd got a prize in the lottery--"
"Oh, shut up!" shouted Royson, diving frantically for his boots.
"That's no way for a barrow-knight to talk to 'is admirin' skipper,"
said Stump.
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