Page:Morley roberts--Blue Peter--sea yarns.djvu/51

Rh "There, there, what did I tell you?" wailed Gruddle. "’E's goin* to take us on to Africa, and we can't stop 'im."

The prospect of being shut up in a ship with officers who totally refused to recognise that they had any status but passengers was very dreadful, but over and above that there was the question of what would become of the business, with none to attend to it but underpaid clerks who were not allowed to know the dark and secret ways of their employers. And then there was the question of the grub. Shody fairly quailed at the prospect. They turned on poor smitten Butterworth like one man, and if Cade needed any more revenge they gave it him.

"You must go and speak to the skipper, Butterworth," they said in chorus, "you must persuade him to act reasonable."

"Yes, and be knocked down again!" said the wretched junior, whose head was aching as the result of Cade's hard fists. "’E's a much more powerful man than that overbearin' beast on the bridge, and I ain't goin' to be whippin' boy for any of you."

"But you got us to come," urged Gruddle.

"I wish to 'eavens I 'ad died before I thought