That Dignity, though splashed, took no
notice of so small an incident as a gone ship-boy: and if Murphy had been
wise and stayed with Nep. all had been well. But the poor urchin
inadvertently came up again, and without the lantern. One of the gig's
crew grabbed him by the hair, and prolonged his existence by an
inconsiderate impulse.
"Where is the other lantern?" was Robarts' first word on reaching the
deck: as if he didn't know.
"Gone overboard, sir, with the boy Murphy."
"Stand forward, you, sir," growled Robarts.
Murphy stood forward, dripping and shivering with cold and fear.
"What d'ye mean by going overboard with the ship's lantern?"
"Och, your arnr, sure some unasy divil drooped the port; and the lantern
and me we had no foothold at all at all, and the lantern went into the
say, bad luck to ut; and I went afther to try and save ut--for your
arnr."
"Belay all that!" said Robarts; "do you think you can blarney me, you
young monkey? Here, Bosen's mate, take a rope's-end and start
him!--Again!--Warm him well!--That's right."
As soon as the poor child's shrieks subsided into sobs, the
disciplinarian gave him Explanation for Ointment: "I can't have the
Company's stores expended this way.
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