FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61  
62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   >>   >|  
l--an interval in which everybody fore and aft, appeared to be waiting for something; the something being at that precise moment standing at the foot of the foc'sle ladder, trying to screw its courage up. "If the boy comes," said the skipper in a strained, unnatural voice, "I'll flay him alive." "You'd better get your knife out, then," said the mate. The boy appeared on deck, very white about the gills, and looking piteously at the crew for support. He became conscious from their scowls that he had forgotten something, and remembering himself, stretched out his skinny arms to their full extent, and, crinkling his nose, walked with great trepidation to the side. "Boy!" vociferated the skipper suddenly. "Yessir," said the urchin hastily. "Comm'ere," said the skipper sternly. "Shove your dinner over first," said four low, menacing voices. The boy hesitated, then walked slowly towards the skipper. "What are you going to do with that dinner?" demanded the latter grimly. "Eat it," said the youth modestly. "What d'yer bring it on deck for, then?" inquired the other, bending his brows on him. "I thought it would taste better on deck, sir," said the boy. "Taste better!" growled the skipper ferociously. "Ain't it good?" "Yessir," said the boy. "Speak louder," said the skipper sternly. "Is it very good?" "Beautiful," said the boy in a shrill falsetto. "Did you ever taste better wittles than you get aboard this ship?" demanded the skipper, setting him a fine example in loud speaking. "Never!" yelled the boy, following it. "Everything as it should be?" roared the skipper. "Better than it should be," shrilled the craven "Sit down and eat it," commanded the other. The boy sat on the cabin skylight, and, taking out his pocket-knife, began his meal with every appearance of enjoyment, the skipper, with his elbows on the side, and his legs crossed, regarding him serenely. "I suppose," he said loudly, after watching the boy for some time, "I s'pose the men threw theirs overboard becos they hadn't been used to such good food?" "Yessir," said the boy. "Did they say so?" bawled the other. The boy hesitated, and glanced nervously forward. "Yessir," he said at length, and shuddered as a low, ominous growl came from the crew. Despite his slowness the meal came to an end at last, and, in obedience to orders, he rose and took his plate forward, looking entreatingly at the crew as he passed
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61  
62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
skipper
 

Yessir

 
appeared
 

hesitated

 
walked
 
sternly
 
forward
 

dinner

 

demanded

 

commanded


skylight

 

shrilled

 

craven

 

taking

 

yelled

 

wittles

 

aboard

 

falsetto

 

shrill

 

louder


Beautiful

 

setting

 

Everything

 

roared

 
speaking
 
Better
 

nervously

 

glanced

 

length

 

shuddered


ominous

 
bawled
 
Despite
 

entreatingly

 

passed

 

orders

 

slowness

 

obedience

 

crossed

 
serenely

suppose
 
elbows
 

appearance

 

enjoyment

 
loudly
 

overboard

 

watching

 

pocket

 

strained

 
unnatural