Page:The Dark Frigate (Hawes).djvu/130

The three looked at one another and hesitated, and the youngest of the three turned away his face and put his hand on his belly, and sick enough he looked, at which a great laugh went up.

“Go, Harry,” the Old One cried to the little round man, ‘‘and tell them at the hatch to be still, for that we shall presently have them on deck. We must learn our brave recruits a lesson.”

Again a roar of laughter rose, and as the little man went in to the hatch, the others drew about the three who cowered against the forecastle ladder, as well they might.

“Come, silly dogs,” said the Old One, “in faith, you must earn your foolish lives. Lay hands on those carcasses and heave them to the fishes.”

They looked into the faces of the men about them, but got small comfort as they edged toward their unwelcome task.

“It is hard to use thus a shipmate of three voyages,” the oldest of them muttered.

"True,” replied the Old One, ‘‘but so shall you buy your way into a goodlier company of shipmates, who traffic in richer cargoes than pickled codfish and New England herrings.”

The three picked up the bodies, one at a time, each with its arms and legs dragging, and carried them to the waist and pushed them over. But the youngest of the three was trembling like a dead weed in November when they had finished, and the Old One chuckled to see the fellow’s white face.

“Have courage, bawcock,” the Old One cried ; ‘‘there shall soon be a round of aqua vitae to warm thy shaking limbs and send the blood coursing through thy veins.