ke de fire by her loneliness. Say, then, wherever
dere is troub' mon onc' 'Lias he is there, he stan' outside de troub'
an' look on--dat is his hobby. You call it hombog? Oh, nannin-gia!
Suppose two peoples goes to fight, ah bah, somebody must pick up de
pieces--dat is mon onc' 'Lias! He have his boat full of hoysters; so he
sit dere all alone and watch dat great fight, an' heat de hoyster an'
drink de cider vine.

"Ah, bah! mon onc' 'Lias he is standin' hin de door dat day. Dat is what
we say on Jersey--when a man have some ver' great luck we say he stan'
hin de door. I t'ink it is from de Bible or from de helmanac--sacre moi,
I not know.... If I talk too much you give me dat black-jack."

They gave him the black-jack. After he had drunk and wiped his mouth on
his sleeve, he went on:

"O my good-ma'm'selle, a leetle more to de wind. Ah, dat is
right--trejous!... Dat fight it go like two bulls on a vergee--respe
d'la compagnie. Mon onc' 'Lias he have been to Hengland, he have sing
'God save our greshus King'; so he t'ink a leetle--Ef he go to de
French, likely dey will hang him. Mon onc' 'Lias, he is what you call
patreeteesm. He say, 'Hengland, she is mine--trejous.' Efin, he sail
straight for de Henglish ships. Dat is de greates' man, mon onc'
'Lias--respe d'la compagnie! he coum on de side which is not fighting.
Ah bah, he tell dem dat he go to save de gentleman-of-war. He see a
hofficier all bloodiness and he call hup: 'Es-tu gentiment?' he say.
'Gentiment,' say de hofficier; 'han' you?' 'Naicely, yank you!' mon onc'
'Lias he say. 'I will save you,' say mon onc' 'Lias--'I will save de
ship of God save our greshus King.' De hofficier wipe de tears out of
his face. 'De King will reward you, man alive,' he say. Mon onc'
'Lias he touch his breast and speak out. 'Mon hofficier, my reward is
here--trejous. I will take you into de Ecrehoses.' 'Coum up and save de
King's ships,' says de hofficier. 'I will take no reward,' say mon onc'
'Lias, 'but, for a leetle pourboire, you will give me de privator--eh?'
'Milles sacres'--say de hofficier, 'mines saeres--de privator!' he
say, ver' surprise'. 'Man doux d'la vie--I am damned!' 'You are damned
trulee, if you do not get into de Ecrehoses,' say mon onc' 'Lias--'A
bi'tot, good-bye!' he say. De hofficier call down to him: 'Is dere
nosing else you will take?' 'Nannin, do not tempt me,' say mon onc'
'Lias. 'I am not a gourman'. I will take de privator--dat is my hobby.'
All de ti