ve ye any acquaintance with the laws which are made and purwided
for British seamen when it happens that their flag's degraded by the
haction of a retired tailor?" said old Joe.

Mr. Sloper, instead of answering, cast a languishing eye at the river
banks, which were fast sliding past, and requested to be set ashore.

"It don't answer his purpose to speak to the pint," said Plum.

"Listen, now," said old Joe, shaking his forefinger close into the
face of little Sloper. "When a retired tailor degrades the honour of a
seaman's flag by a shooting at it and a riddling of it, the law 'as
made and purwided sets forth this: that the insulted sailor shall
collect his crew and in the presence of all hands pass sentence after
giving an impartial hearing to what the culprit may have to say in his
defence. Now, you durned little powder-burner, speak up, and own what
made you do it, and then I'll pass judgment."

"What's your game? What d' yer mean to do with me? Where are you
carryin' me to?" cried the owner of Labour's Retreat. "None of yer
nonsense, you know. This is what's called kidnappin'. It's
hindictable. You may find yourself in a very unpleasant predicament
over this business, I can tell yer. You profess to know who I am.
D'yer want to know what I'm worth? Yer'd better put me ashore, I say,
and stop this nonsense. I don't mind a joke, but this is carrying a
lark too far. Why," he shrieked, "here we are a-drawing on to
Northfleet! Yer 'd better let me go." And so he went on.

Old Joe and the others listened to him with stern faces; in fact, they
received his protests and threats as his defence. When he had made an
end Joe Westlake spoke thus:

"Sloper--I dunno your Christian name and I won't demean myself by
asking of it,--four of your countrymen--and sorry they are that you
should be a countrymen of their'n--have patiently listened to what
ye've had to say. And all that ye've said amounts to nothen at all.
The haccusation made against ye is one of the very gravest as can be
brought agin a retired tailor. You're charged with degrading the
honour of my flag, and ye 've been found guilty, and my sentence is
that after a sufficient time's been granted you for prayer and
meditation, ye be brought up to the place of hexecution, aboard this
here cutter the _Tom Bowling_, and hanged by the neck till you're
dead."

"Murder!" screamed Sloper, and here (so he afterwards swore in court)
the unhappy little tailor fell down upon