the dusk she let the tears roll down. Old Joy moaned and shook her
head. John the Baptist had begun to retort but withered before a
ferocious muffled threat from the mate while following him into the
aisle. "Bucked and gagged," was the mate's odd phrase, at which a dozen
or so nearest him laughed again, a bit nervously. They looked back to
see if the twins had heard it, and were just in time to catch from
Julian and the general a last glare of scorn as the group of five left
the cabin. Then again came silence, except behind the footlights, where
the sphinx-like singer bore straight on through the refrain and came to
the new lines. Sing them out, sphinx; the more senseless the better.

"Nex' come de 'coon and de cockatroo,
Nex' come de 'coon and de cockatroo,
Nex' come de 'coon and de cockatroo,
De hawg and de whoopdedoodendoo.
Do you belong----?"

The inquiry was drowned in applause, which swelled as the mate and the
exhorter went out with the latter's two backers--more eagle-eyed and
stallion-eyed than ever--and with Watson's cub at the rear. A number
stretched up for a glimpse of Ramsey but she too--and the actor--and
Joy--were gone. There was another waiting hush, and the droll singer, so
droll because so granite solemn, resumed:

"Den turkle-dove an' blue-bird blue,
Den turkle-dove an' blue-bird blue,
Den turkle-dove an' blue-bird blue,
De merry-go-roun' and de hullabaloo.
Do you belong----?"

Applause! Was that the end? Not if the applauders could help it! The day
was coming when a boiler-deck and pilot-house tradition, heard by many
with hearty enjoyment, by many with silent disdain, would be this: that
aboard the old _Votaress_ on her first up trip--late spring of
'52--cholera on every deck--mutiny hotly smouldering--the unreason of
fear and of wrath were beaten in fair fight by the unreason of mirth,
and men's, women's, children's lives--no telling how many--were saved,
through the cleverness of some play-actors and first the youngest of all
the Hayles and then the youngest of all the Courteneys singing a
nonsense song! Sing it! sing on!

He sang on:

"Den de grizzly-b'ah and den de mole,
De grizzly-b'ah and den de mole,
De grizzly-b'ah and den de mole,
De terrapintime and de wrigglemarole.
Do you belong----?"

The plaudits were at their height and Hugh still on the interrogative
line when there came f