"There, boy," said the Goliath, "take it easy, and talk reason about the
ship, and talk the reason reasonably, and I'll join ye; but Spring has a
dash o' poetry about him--I think it's called poetry:--verse-making and
verse-thinking, that never did anything in the way of ship-building or
ship-saving since the world was a world, that I know. Now look, lads;
here's a man-a-war, a heavy, sluggish thing, whose guns could take no
effect on the Fire-fly, because their shot would go right over her, and
only anger the waters. Her long boats, to be sure, could do the
business; but she has no more than two and the captain's gig a-board--as
I heard this morning at Queenborough. The evening is closing, and
neither of the other ships--whose slovenly rigging wants Blake's
dressing--hae any guns a-board to signify."
"Ay," said another, "so much for our near neighbours: what say you to
our farther ones, at t'other side the island--just at the entrance to
the Mersey?"
"Say!" said Springall, "why, that they could be round in less than no
time if they knew who's who."
"Which they do by this: what else would bring the steel caps, and the
Devil himself amongst us? besides, there's others off the coast, as well
as we. Do you think old red-nosed Noll would come here about a drop of
blood--a little murder, that could be settled at the 'sizes? There's
something brooding in another direction, that 'ill set his hot blood
boiling: but as it's purely political, all honest men, who have the
free-trade at heart, will keep clear of it. May be he's heard the report
that black-browed Charlie's thinking of pushing on this way,--though I
don't believe it; it's too good to be true: it would soon make us tune
up 'Hey for Cavaliers!' and bring the old days back again."
"But let us," chimed in Springall--"let us keep clear of every thing of
the sort till our ship's safe. Why, in half an hour they might split her
spars as small as jack-straws!"
"Which they won't, I think; because, if they know who she is, they know
her cargo's safe--where Noll himself can't get at it, unless he drags
the cellars--and the stomachs too, by this time--of half his
prayer-loving subjects along the Kent and Essex coast."
"Stuff, stuff! every enemy destroyed is a shade nearer safety," said
Springall; "and Noll knows it."
"That's well said, Spring," replied Jack, winking on his companion; "and
I'll tell you what's true, too, shall I?"