But I'm
going to get out of this beastly hole any way."
"You're a nice fellow to tell me about your grandfather," said I, in
desperate exasperation; "I don't believe you've the pluck for a common
sailor, let alone a Great Discoverer."
"You've hit the right nail on the head there, Master Charles," said
the voice.
"Fiddlesticks about my grandfather!" said Fred.
In the practical experiences of the last three days my faith in Fred's
tales had more than once been rather rudely shaken; but the
contemptuous tone in which he disposed of our model, the Great Sea
Captain, startled me so severely that I do not think I felt any
additional shock of astonishment when strong hands lifted the
tarpaulin from our heads, and--grave amid several grinning faces--we
saw the bargemaster.
How he reproached us, and how Fred begged him to take us home, and how
I besought him to let us go to sea, it would be tedious to relate. I
have no doubt now that he never swerved from his intention of taking
us back, but he preferred to do it by fair means if possible. So he
fubbed me off, and took us round the docks to amuse us, and talked of
dinner in a way that went to Fred's heart.
But when I found that we were approaching the gates once more, I
stopped dead short.
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