Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/220

 fellows; and very good fighters they be, too, as we'll soon be called upon to see."

All this time Job Mallet tried to silence him, but threats, persuasions, and arguments were all alike useless.

"Old Collywobbles thinks the same as wot we does."

"I'll have you to remember," whispered the bo'sun stiffly, "that I bein' in command in this 'ere ditch don't know as to who you be alludin' when you say Collywobbles. I don't know no one of that name."

"Oh, ain't you a stickler to duty?" chuckled the seadog. "Still I respec's you fer it, though p'raps you'll permit me to remind you as how it was you in the fo'csle of the Resistance as gave the respected Captain Howard Collyer, R. N., the pleasant pet name of Collywobbles. Though p'raps that's slipped your memory for the moment."

"It has," answered the bo'sun.

"Very well, then, but you can take it from me as how it was, so there, and a very clever name it be, too; but there, you always was one of the clever ones, Job Mallet."

"I wish I were clever enough to make your fat mouth shut, I do," muttered the bo'sun.

"Now, then, Job Mallet, don't you begin getting to personalities. But there, now, I don't want to quarrel with you. You've always had my greatest respec's, you has, and as we'll probably be stiff 'uns in a few