human
How, in the name of Beelzebub, did this all happen?
gpt
It's my opinion Beelzebub, or some other of them old fellows, has had a hand in it, all through, said Ranty, with another suppressed howl of grief.
human
The way of it, you see, Uncle Harry, was this: Pet would go to Dismal Hollow this morning in spite of all we could say or do. We told her there were savage negroes in the woods who would send her to kingdom come as fast as they would look at her; but it was only a heaving away of breath and eloquence to talk to her. Go she would and go she did. Well, I persuaded Ray to play a practical joke on her by blacking our faces and waylaying her on her road home, to see whether or not she was as courageous as she pretended to be, Ray consented, and we stopped her here, and by George! before we knew what we were about she fired at Ray, and then dashed off before you could say 'Jack Robinson.' Ray fell like a stone, and I, with a yell like an Indian war-whoop, rushed up to him, and raised him up, and asked him if he was killed. He said 'no' but that he thought he was pretty badly wounded in the shoulder, and I could feel his coat all wet with blood. If I had been a grown-up man, the way I would have sworn at Pet, just then, would have been a caution; but as I wasn't, I contented myself with wishing I had a hold of her for about five minutes--that was all! A little later, Ray went and fainted as dead as a mackerel, and there we were, left like the two 'Babes in the Wood,' and I expect, like those unfortunate infants, the robins might have made us a grave, if you hadn't come along in the nick of time to my relief. I didn't like to leave poor Ray wounded, and helpless, and alone there, and I couldn't carry him home; so I was in just the tallest sort of a fix I ever want to be in again. So there's the whole story, preface, marginal notes, dedication and all.
gpt
Keep her round a point or so, said the admiral, thoughtfully;
human
I see breakers ahead!
gpt
Where?
human
If old Mother Ketura finds out Firefly has shot her boy, there'll be mutiny among the crew, said the admiral, in a mysterious whisper;
gpt
What will I say, then? said Ranty;
human
No, no, Ranty, boy! Stick to the truth; every lie you tell is recorded in the great log-book up above-- here the admiral removed his glazed hat reverentially.
gpt
Say he was shot accidentally----
human
On purpose,
gpt
Or say he was shot by mistake--so he was, you know.
human
All right! I'll fix it up; trust me to get up a work of fiction founded on fact, at a moment's notice! Here we are at the cottage. Now for it!