Then Antonio--who was un'appy, distinctly un'appy--was politely
requested to navigate elsewhere, which I don't think he looked for. 'Op
was deputed to convey the information, an' 'Op got in one sixteen-inch
kick which 'oisted 'im all up the ladder. 'Op ain't really vindictive, an'
'e's fond of the French, especially the women, but his chances o' kicking
lootenants was like the cartridge--reduced to a minimum.
"The boat 'adn't more than shoved off before a change, as you might say,
came o'er the spirit of our dream. The old man says, like Elphinstone an'
Bruce in the Portsmouth election when I was a boy: 'Gentlemen,' he says,
'for gentlemen you have shown yourselves to be--from the bottom of my
heart I thank you. The status an' position of our late lamented shipmate
made it obligate,' 'e says, 'to take certain steps not strictly included
in the regulations. An' nobly,' says 'e, 'have you assisted me. Now,' 'e
says, 'you hold the false and felonious reputation of bein' the smartest
ship in the Service. Pigsties,' 'e says,' is plane trigonometry alongside
our present disgustin' state. Efface the effects of this indecent orgy,'
he says. 'Jump, you lop-eared, flat-footed, butter-backed Amalekites! Dig
out, you briny-eyed beggars!'"
"Do captains talk like that in the Navy, Mr. Pyecroft?" I asked.
"I've told you once I only give the grist of his arguments. The Bosun's
mate translates it to the lower deck, as you may put it, and the lower
deck springs smartly to attention.
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