You never
did? A rael Liverpool gentleman, eh? A reg'lar aristocrack out of Sawney
Pope-street!"

"No, sir, but it's easy to see where _you_ came from," said the waiter,
with withering scorn.

"You say true, boy," said Davy, "but it's aisier still to see where you
are going to. Ever seen the black man on the beach at all? No? Him with
the performing birds? You know--jacks and ravens and owls and such like.
Well, he's been wanting something like you this long time. Wouldn't
trust, but he'd give twopence-halfpenny for you--and drinks all round.
You'd make his fortune as a cockatoo."

The waiter in fury called downstairs for assistance, and when two of
his fellow servants had arrived in the room they made some poor show of
working their will by force. Then Davy paused from his work, scratched
the under part of his chin with the nail of his forefinger, and said,
"Friends, some of us four is interrupting the play, and they're wanting
us at the pay box to give us back the fare. I'm thinking it's you's
fellows--what do _you_ say? They're longing for you downstairs--won't
you go? No? you'll not though? Then where d'ye keep the slack of your
trowsis?"

Saying this Davy rose to his feet, hitched his left hand into the collar
of the first waiter, and his right into the depths under his coat tails,
and ran him out of the room. Returning for the other two waiters he did
much the same by each of them, and then came back with a look of awe,
and said--

"My gough! they must have been Manxmen after all--they rowled downstairs
as if they'd been all legs together."

Lovibond looked grave. "That's going too far, Capt'n," he said. "For
your own sake it's risking too much."

"Risking too much?" said Davy. "There's only three of them."

The first bell rang on the steamer; it was quarter to nine o'clock.
Willie Quarrie looked out at the window. The "Snaefell" was lying by the
red pier in the harbor, getting up steam, and sending clouds of smoke
over the old "Imperial." Cars were rattling up the quay, passengers
were making for the gangways, and already the decks, fore and aft, were
thronged with people.

"Come along, my lad; look slippy," cried Davy, "only two bells more,
and three hampers still to pack. Tumble them in--here goes."

"Capt'n!" said Willie, still looking out.

"What?" said Davy.

"Don't cross by the ferry, Capt'n."

"Why not?"

"They're all waiting for you," said Willie, "every dirt of them all is
waiting by