"You're a ship's cousin, I tell ye, Master Doo-but-little," roared the steward—"some such matter as a ship's cousin, sir. I know you, I do, with your fair-weather speeches to Squire Dickens, to his face, and then you go and sarve out your grumbling to all the old women in the town, do ye. An't it enough for any Christian, let him harbour never so much malice, to get an honest old fellow laid by the heels in this fashion, without carrying sail so hard on the poor dog, as if you would run him down as he lay at his anchors? But I've logged many a hard thing against your name, master, and now the time's come to foot up the day's work, d'ye see; so square yourself, you lubber, square yourself, and we'll soon know who's the better man."
"Jotham!" cried the frightened magistrate—"Jotham! call in the constables. Mr. Penguillum, I command the peace—I order you to keep the peace."
"There's been more peace than love atwixt us, master," cried the steward, making some very equivocal demonstrations towards hostility; "so mind yourself! square yourself, I say! do you smell this here bit of a sledge-hammer?"
"Lay hands on me if you dare!" exclaimed Hiram, as well as he could under the grasp which the steward held on his throttle-"lay hands on me if you dare!"
"If ye call this laying, master, you are welcome to the eggs," roared the steward.
It becomes our disagreeable duty to record here, that the acts of Benjamin now beep me perfectly unequivocal; for he darted his sledge-hammer violently on the anvil of Mr. Doolittle's countenance, and the place became, in an instant, a scene of tumult and confusion. The crowd rushed in a dense circle around the spot, while some run to
