Page:Frank Packard - Greater Love Hath No Man.djvu/238

 They rolled their casks up the plank, and helped each other down with them to the deck—their united and earnest demands for 'Rastus eliciting no other response than the brief appearance of that coloured gentleman's head in the forecastle hatchway, who announced piquantly:

"Yah! You lazy debbils, you done do yoh own work—I'se otherwise engaged, I is. Yah!"—and ducked out of sight again.

They hurled a battery of intimate and uncomplimentary remarks at him, and started back along the wharf again. The Swede was a little behind the others, and Varge spoke to him.

"How long before you sail?" he inquired.

The China-blue eyes regarded Varge with the ingenuous stare of a child.

"Ban go with tide," he said gravely, moving on after the others. "Ban go 'bout one hour, Ay tank."

Varge followed him shorewards along the wharf with his eyes, and then turned suddenly as Jonah Sully popped hurriedly and with evident excitement from the "house."

"Well, I swan!" exclaimed the skipper, crossing the deck to the rail. "Knew there was something oughter'd struck me!" He stretched out his arm, pointing his finger at Varge. "You, there, young fellow! Well, I vum! I wouldn't have thought it!"

"Thought what?" said Varge in surprise.

"What?" echoed the skipper excitedly. "Why, jumpin' jerooshey, that there cask! Put it down on the deck all by yourself like it wasn't any heavier than a baby, didn't ye? Must have weighed three hundred an'