Page:Ballantyne--The Battery and the Boiler.djvu/291

 started up, put the child down, and, with sudden energy seized the bottle of rum by the neck.) Look 'ere, yous oftin say to me afore you goed away, 'Geo'gie, do, do give up d'inkin','—you 'members?" "No, I don't remember," said Letta, smiling through her tears.

"Ho! yes, but you said it—bery oftin, an' me was used to say, 'Yes Miss Letty'—de hold hippercrit!—but I didn't gib 'im up. I d'ink away wuss dan ebber. But now—but now—but now (he danced round, each time whirling the bottle above his head), me d'ink no more—nebber—nebber—nebber more!"

With a mighty swing the old man sent the rum-bottle, like a rocket, up among the branches of an ebony-tree, where it was shattered to atoms, and threw an eaves-dropping monkey almost into fits by raining rum and broken glass upon its inquisitive head.

When the excitement of the meeting had somewhat subsided, Letta suddenly said, "But where is mamma? Oh! take me to mamma, Georgie."

The old man's joy instantly vanished, and Letta stood pale and trembling before him, pressing her little hands to her breast, and not daring, apparently, to ask another question.

"Not dead?" she said at length in a low whisper.