Page:Cruise of the Dry Dock.djvu/164

 and they are har-rd to discover, as ivry wan of you lads very will know. Columbus wint out in thray ships, our gallant captain wint out in his undhershirt and a straw hat. I say thray cheers for our gallant captain!”

The cheers were given with a hearty good will and the orator sat down smiling broadly and moistening his dry lips with his tongue. Then the diners desired a response.

It struck Madden to propose salving the dock while the crowd was mellow. He arose when the noise subsided somewhat.

“I thank you fellows very much for the kind opinion you entertain of me, and now I want to lay a proposition before you.”

“Hear! Hear the captain!” called two or three cockneys in hoarse good humor.

“I want to say that to-morrow we are going to man the schooner and sail for home.”

The men were in a bubbling mood, and cheered this with cries of “Good! Good!”

“What I wish you to decide is, whether we shall tow the dock, or sail with the schooner alone?”

“With the schooner alone, sor!” “Schooner