I believe they
thought it was Old Nick alive, a-treatin' himself to a swim. You
could see the niggers a-clippin' it away from the shore, for dear
life, and the soldiers a-movin' about as if they thought that we were
a-goin' to take the whole country. Presently a little half-starved
orange-coloured lookin' Spanish officer, all dressed off in his
livery, as fine as a fiddle, came off with two men in a boat to board
us. Well, we yawed once or twice, and motioned to him to keep off for
fear he should get hurt; but he came right on afore the wheel, and I
hope I may be shot if the paddle didn't strike the bow of the boat
with that force, it knocked up the starn like a plank tilt, when one
of the boys playin' on it is heavier than t'other; and chucked him
right atop of the wheel-house. You never seed a feller in such a
dunderment in your life. He had picked up a little English from
seein' our folks there so much, and when he got up, the first thing
he said was,'Damn all sheenery, I say; where's my boat?' and he
looked round as if he thought it had jumped on board too. 'Your
boat?' said the captain, why I expect it's gone to the bottom, and
your men have gone down to look arter it, for we never seed or heerd
tell of one or t'other of them arter the boat was struck.' Yes, I'd
make 'em stare like that 'ere Spanish officer, as if they had seed
out of their eyes for the first time.
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