human
Hillo, my men, he exclaimed, in no very amiable tone.
gpt
I thought the ship was wrecked, with all that splashing and scrubbing. One would suppose that the vessel was as dirty as those Augean stables that fellow Hercules had to clean, by all the water you use.
human
It's cheaper than pipe-clay, and cleaner, for it's to be had for the taking, and don't leave any dust,
gpt
It may be cheap, but it makes a confounded noise, and we have enough of it outside, as it is, answered the colonel, not hearing the reference to pipe-clay.
human
So I beg in future you won't let quite so much of it play round my head in a morning.
gpt
Well, Mr Bowse, anything more of our friend, the _Flying Dutchman_?
human
If you will step up here, I will tell you more about her, sir, answered the master; and, thus summoned, the colonel picked his way over the wet deck to where he was standing.
gpt
I think it right, Colonel Gauntlett, to tell you, that you may be prepared, that we are going to have a blow of it, shortly; and I want you to look at that brig out there. What do you make of her?
human
Bless me, nothing--I can't even see her, said the colonel.
gpt
Do you mean to tell me that you can distinguish what that little black mark is out there?
human
Yes, Colonel Gauntlett, I am certain that yonder object is either a brig or a ship, under her tops'ils, standing to the eastward, and that the other, you see, to the north of her, is a felucca or speronara. Now, sir, if there is any credit to be placed in the letter we got last night, and in the account the two Sicilians who came on board gave us, and in the warnings we got at Malta, we are likely to fall in with a brig which is no better than she should be, and which is in connection, some way or other, with that same speronara. Now, there is a brig on the same course that we are; yet, for some reason or other, in no hurry to make a passage: perhaps, she is waiting for us to come up with her. Then there floats just such another craft as the speronara, supposing it is not she herself: so, if we are to fall in with a pirate, I cannot help thinking that brig ahead is the vessel. That is one thing I have to mention to you, sir; and please to look to the south'ard and east'ard. The black bank gathering there shows that we shall have a very different time of it to what we had yesterday.
gpt
Well, Mr Bowse, what would you have us do? exclaimed the colonel, with rather a puzzled look.
human
Do you wish us to put back?
gpt
No, Colonel Gauntlett, I have been brought up in a school where it is not the custom to run from any danger men can meet with, when there is a chance of overcoming it, replied the master, with not a little dignity in his tone.
human
But I thought it my duty to inform you, sir, of what, in my opinion, is likely to occur; and, please Providence, we'll do our best to meet and overcome any dangers which may appear.
gpt
I like your spirit, Bowse, and cordially agree with you, exclaimed the colonel, taking his hand.
human
Those black clouds may, after all, only indicate a squall; and, as for the pirate, if one falls foul of us I think we snail have no difficulty in handling him.
gpt
I won't deceive you, sir; if you had been as much at sea as I have you would know that those clouds foretell a gale; but such a gale as I hope the _Zodiac_ will weather without straining a timber; and, for the pirate, we must keep our weather eye open, that he does not take us unawares. Perhaps, Providence tends the storm to keep us clear of the pirate. My advice to you, sir, is to warn the young lady and her maid of what is going to happen, and to get everything stowed in your cabin. I'm just going to turn the hands up to shorten sail.
human
I wish I could be of as much use there as I hope to be alongside an enemy; but as I cannot, I will go where I can do some good.
gpt
All hands on deck to shorten sail,