Jack and His Seven Foes — page 53: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

44 JACK AND HIS SEVEN FOES, CHAPTER XVIL. THE ‘“‘RATTLESNAKE” PROVES TO BE A BED OF THORNS—DRIBBLES HEARS - SOMETHING NOT TO HIS ADVANTAGE. Tue rest they had was very short. Ere an hour had elapsed, the door of the cabin was thrust open, and a stentorian voice roared out— “‘ All hands to shorten sail! ”’ “Ts that meant for us?” asked the Swaggerer, sitting up. | “Tt is meant for you all,” said the speaker. ‘‘Up with you smart, or I'll give you a taste of rope that will stick to you for a month.” ‘‘L suppose we must obey,’ muttered the Swaggerer, as he rolled out of his bunk, “ but I reckoned on something different.” “Two months’ easy life you talked of,” _ said the Settler. ‘Send I may die, but any life is better than this.”’ ‘Even life in the pretty little place where the mill goes round,” said the Panther. | “Now then, hurry up,” exclaimed Abraham Spanker, from without, “ or Pll put a few of you in irons.” They hurried outside, and found that there was a clear sky and a gentle breeze. No sign of astorm or of one approaching. : ‘‘Did you say shorten sail?” asked the Swaggerer. “I did,” replied Abraham Spanker. “The sails are my own. I’m master of the ‘ Rattlesnake,’ and I can shorten sail if I like, I suppose P ” “ Anyhow,” said the Swaggerer, “‘ you might put your crew to do it.”’ “What's this—mutiny ?”’ Spanker cried. ‘“T’ll not have that. Up you go, and the first man among you who hangs fire Pll make bacon of him.”’ He drew his revolver, and they, see- ing he was in earnest, ran up the main- mast and shortened sail. Barely had they done so, when Spanker bade them shake it out again, “and be hanged to them.” They obeyed, and came down to the deck again, every man jack of them livid with rage. | ‘“Now, you see,’ said the Yankee, “Tm a man to be obeyed. When I open my blessed mouth it’s to make people skip and run, and if they won't do either, I give them one of my patent pills. As a rule it’s enough. Hallo! what are you doing?” he roared, as they were turning away. “Going back,’ replied the Settler, sulkily. | ‘Were you, indeed ?”’ said Spanker, sarcastically. ‘Then wait for the word. We don’t sleep much of our time away aboard the ‘ Rattlesnake.’ Hallo! there —Slocum Kerry, bring up your fiddle.” A shock-headed man of low stature responded. He was so short-necked as to lead people to imagine that he was humpbacked. But he was straight enough, and evidently possessed of great strength. ““We make merry, we do, the first night aboard the ‘ Rattlesnake,’ ”’ said Abraham Spanker, “‘and so you cata- wampous cockloft backsliders will have the goodness to dance.” c “Dance !”’ echoed the amazed Swag- gerer and his companions. “Yes, you are to dance,’ said Spanker, ‘Cas I’m very fond of it. I don’t dance myself, but I do like to see other people a kicking their pipe-shanks about. Now, Slocum, give us something lively.” Slocum sat down on an upturned bucket, and, with a grin upon his face, struck into ahornpipe. Somemen from aft gathered near, and looked on. It was almost dark, and they could only be mistily seen, but their amuse- ment was apparent. “Now then,’ roared Spanker, “ off you go. If you don’t know a hornpipe, give us something else. We ain’t par- ticular, so long as it’s dancing.” ‘‘T never danced in my life,” said the Settler. “Then it 1s time you began. Do as I tell you, or I'll put you all im irons, and hang you in the morning. I’m aboard the ‘ Rattlesnake,’ and she’s on the high seas, and there I only know of one law, and that’s my own. Dance, you lazy rascals, dance.” GomiGovooksaconmi