Bunyip Land, page 39 by George Manville Fenn
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ss under his arm, and his hands deep down in his pockets. He walked with his legs very wide apart, and stopped short before us, his straw hat tilted right over his nose, and see-sawing himself backwards and forwards on his toes and heels.
"You're a nice young man, arn't you now?" he said to Jack.
"No, I'm only a boy yet," said Jack quietly.
"Well, you're tall enough to be a man, anyhow. What's your height?"
"Five foot 'leven," said Jack.
"And how old are you?"
"Seventeen next 'vember," said Jack.
"Humph!" said the captain.
"Here, how much is it?" said Jack, thrusting his hand in his pocket. "I'll pay now and ha' done with it."
"Pay what?"
"My passage-money."
"Oh!" said the captain quietly, "I see. Well, I think we'd better settle that by-and-by when you bring in claim for salvage."
The captain pronounced it "sarvidge," and Jack stared.
"What savage?" he said. "Do you mean Joe Carstairs' black fellow?"
"Do I mean Joe Carstairs' grandmother, boy? I didn't say savage; I said salvage--saving of the ship from pirates."
"Oh, I see what you mean," replied Jack. "I sha'n't bring in any claim. I knew that Malay chap wasn't doing right, and stopped him, that's all."
"Well, we won't say any more about stowing away, then," said the captain. "Had plenty to eat this morning?"
"Oh yes, I'm better now," drawled Jack. "I was real bad yesterday, and never felt so hollow before."
The captain nodded and went back, while Jack turned to me, and nodding his head said slowly:
"I like the captain. Now let's go and see how your black fellow's head is."
Jimmy was lying under a bit of awning rigged up with a scrap of the storm-torn sail; and as soon as he saw us his white teeth flashed out in the light.
"Well, Jimmy, how are you?" I said, as Jack Penny stood bending down over him, and swaying gently to and fro as if he had hinges in his back.
"Jimmy better--much better. Got big fly in um h