He became so uproarious that he was fain
to push the captain away from him, and lean back in his chair and choke
and laugh until he nearly lost his breath, at which crisis a remarkably
pretty girl appeared from the back of the house, and patted him with
hearty good will.
"That'll do, my dear," said the choking Mr. Rumbolt. "Here's Captain
Lewis."
"I can see him," said his daughter calmly. "What's he standing on one
leg for?"
The skipper, who really was standing in a somewhat constrained attitude,
coloured violently, and planted both feet firmly on the ground.
"Being as I was passing close in, Miss Rumbolt," said he, "and coming
ashore to see mother"--
To the captain's discomfort, manifestations of a further attack on the
part of Mr. Rumbolt appeared, but were promptly quelled by the daughter.
"Mother?" she repeated encouragingly,
"I thought I'd come on and ask you just to pay a sort o' flying visit to
the Thames." "Thank you, I'm comfortable enough where I am," said the
girl.
"I've got a couple of monkeys and a bear aboard, which I 'm taking to a
menagerie in Aberdeen," continued the captain, "and the thought struck
me you might possibly like to see 'em." "Well, I don't know," said the
damsel in a flutter. "Is it a big bear?"
"Have you ever seen an elephant?" inquired Hezekiah cautiously.
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