"--"We
ain't goin' to work this bloomin' ship shorthanded if Snowball's
all right..."--"He says he is."--"Well then, strike, boys,
strike!"--"That's the bloomin' ticket." Captain AUistoun said sharply to
the second mate: "Keep quiet, Mr. Creighton," and stood composed in the
tumult, listening with profound attention to mixed growls and screeches,
to every exclamation and every curse of the sudden outbreak. Somebody
slammed the cabin door to with a kick; the darkness full of menacing
mutters leaped with a short clatter over the streak of light, and
the men became gesticulating shadows that growled, hissed, laughed
excitedly. Mr. Baker whispered:--"Get away from them, sir." The big
shape of Mr. Creighton hovered silently about the slight figure of the
master.--"We have been hymposed upon all this voyage," said a
gruff voice, "but this 'ere fancy takes the cake."--"That man is a
shipmate."--"Are we bloomin' kids?"--"The port watch will refuse
duty." Charley carried away by his feeling whistled shrilly, then
yelped:--"Giv' us our Jimmy!" This seemed to cause a variation in the
disturbance. There was a fresh burst of squabbling uproar.
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