"Now, what's all this nonsense about?" demanded the incensed man. "What
do you want?"
"We want your pore sinful soul," said Dick with ecstasy.
"Ay, an' we'll have it," said Joe, with deep conviction.
"So we will," said the other two, closing their eyes and smiling
rapturously; "so we will."
The skipper, alarmed, despite himself, at their confidence, turned a
startled face to the mate.
"If you could see it now," continued Dick impressively, "you'd be
frightened at it. If you could--"
"Get to your own end of the ship," spluttered the indignant skipper.
"Get, before I kick you there!"
"Better let Sam have a try," said one of the other men, calmly ignoring
the fury of the master; "his efforts have been wonderfully blessed. Come
here, Sam."
"There's a time for everything" said Sam cautiously. "Let's go for'ard
and do what we can for him among ourselves."
They moved off reluctantly, Dick throwing such affectionate glances at
the skipper over his shoulders that he nearly choked with rage.
"I won't have it!" he said fiercely; "I'll knock it out of 'em."
"You can't," said the mate. "You can't knock sailor men about nowadays.
The only thing you can do is to get rid of 'em."
"I don't want to do that," was the growling reply.
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