human
It's a curious thing, said Jonas Rea,
gpt
Is that the boat?
human
That's her, replied Jonas;
gpt
Do you see anything particular?
human
I can't say that I do.
gpt
Look at her masthead. What is there?
human
There is a grey hair, that is all, like a pennant.
gpt
I mean that, said Jonas.
human
I can't say whether my old mother put a hair from her white head there for the purpose, or whether it caught and fixed itself when she fell forward clasping the boat, and the masts and spars and shrouds were all tangled in her hair. Anyhow, there it be, and that's one reason why I've had the _Bold Venture_ put in a glass case--that the white hair may never by no chance get brushed away from it. Now, look again. Do you see nothing more?
gpt
Can't say I do.
human
Look at the bows.
gpt
I see nothing except, perhaps, some bruises, and a little bit of red paint.
human
Ah! that's it, and where did the red paint come from?
gpt
Well, no, I reckon you can't tell. It was thus. When mother died, I brought the _Bold Venture_ here and set her where she is now, on the cupboard, and Jonas, he had set the new ship, all red and green, the _Saucy Jane_ it was called, on the bureau. Will you believe me, next morning when I came downstairs the frigate was on the floor, and some of her spars broken and all the rigging in a muddle.
human
There was no lead on the bottom. It fell down.
gpt
It was not once that happened. It came to the same thing every night; and what is more, the _Bold Venture_ began to show signs of having fouled her.
human
How so?
gpt
Run against her. She had bruises, and had brought away some of the paint of the _Saucy Jane_. Every morning the frigate, if she were'nt on the floor, were rammed into a corner, and battered as if she'd been in a bad sea.
human
But it is impossible.
gpt
Of course, lots o' things is impossible, but they happen all the same.
human
Well, what next?
gpt
Jane, she was ill, and took wus and wus, and just as she got wus so it took wus as well with the _Saucy Jane_. And on the night she died, I reckon that there was a reg'lar pitched sea-fight.
human
But not at sea.
gpt
Well, no; but the frigate seemed to have been rammed, and she was on the floor and split from stem to stern.
human
And, pray, has the _Bold Venture_ made no attempt since? The glass case is not broken.
gpt
There's been no occasion. I chucked what remained of the _Saucy Jane_ into the fire.