Mr Dennis, having by this
time succeeded in extricating from his hat a great mass of pasty, which
had been wedged in so tightly that it was not easily got out, put it
before him; and Hugh, having borrowed a notched and jagged knife from
one of the company, fell to work upon it vigorously.
'I should recommend you to swallow a little fire every day, about an
hour afore dinner, brother,' said Dennis, after a pause. 'It seems to
agree with you, and to stimulate your appetite.'
Hugh looked at him, and at the blackened faces by which he was
surrounded, and, stopping for a moment to flourish his knife above his
head, answered with a roar of laughter.
'Keep order, there, will you?' said Simon Tappertit.
'Why, isn't a man allowed to regale himself, noble captain,' retorted
his lieutenant, parting the men who stood between them, with his knife,
that he might see him,--'to regale himself a little bit after such work
as mine? What a hard captain! What a strict captain! What a tyrannical
captain! Ha ha ha!'
'I wish one of you fellers would hold a bottle to his mouth to keep him
quiet,' said Simon, 'unless you want the military to be down upon us.'
'And what if they are down upon us!' retorted Hugh.
Pages:
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781