"Well, then, speak quick, both of you," said Sharpe, "or I'll lay ye both
by the heels. Ye black scoundrels, what business have you in the
captain's cabin, kicking up the devil's delight?"
Thus threatened, Vespasian panted out his tale; he had discovered this
nigger, as he persisted in calling the Hindoo, eternally prowling about
the good captain's door, and asking stupid questions: he had watched him,
and, on the surgeon coming out with the good news that the captain was
better, in had crawled "this yar abominable egotisk." And he raised a
ponderous fist to point the polysyllables: with this aid the sarcasm
would doubtless have been crushing; but Fullalove hung on the sable
orator's arm, and told him drily to try and speak without gesticulating.
"The darned old cuss," said Vespasian, with a pathetic sigh at not being
let hit him. He resumed and told how he had followed the Hindoo
stealthily, and found him with a knife uplifted over the captain--a
tremor ran through all present--robbing him. At this a loud murmur filled
the room; a very ugly one, the sort of snarl with which dogs fly at dogs'
throats with their teeth, and men fly at men's throats with a cord.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331