"Why, that must be it," said he: "the lubber! to take it for a man's
head. Why, it is nothing but a thundering old bladder, speckled white."
"What?" cried Dodd, and fell a-trembling. "Steer for it! Give way!"
"Ay, ay, sir!"
They soon came alongside the bladder, and the coxswain grabbed it.
"Hallo! here's something lashed to it: a bottle!"
"Give it me!" gasped Dodd in a voice choked with agitation. "Give it me!
Back to the ship! Fly! fly! Cut her off, or she'll give us the slip
_now._"
He never spoke a word more, but sat in a stupor of joyful wonder.
They soon caught the ship; he got into his cabin, he scarce knew how:
broke the bottle to atoms, and found the indomitable Cash uninjured. With
trembling hands he restored it to its old place in his bosom, and sewed
it tighter than ever.
Until he felt it there once more, he could hardly realise a stroke of
good fortune that seemed miraculous--though, in reality, it was less
strange than the way he had lost it;* but now, laid bodily on his heart,
it set his bosom on fire. Oh, the bright eye, the bounding pulse, the
buoyant foot, the reckless joy! He slapped Sharpe on the back a little
vulgarly for him:--
"Jonah is on board again, old fellow: look out for squalls.
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