Stories by English Authors: Ireland | Page 2

down, as the sailors call
it; and, faith, I never was good at settlin' down in my life, and I liked it
then less nor ever. Accordingly we prepared for the worst, and put out
the boot, and got a sack o' bishkits and a cask o' pork and a kag o'
wather and a thrifle o' rum aboord, and any other little matthers we
could think iv in the mortial hurry we wor in--and, faith, there was no

time to be lost, for, my darlint, the Colleen Dhas went down like a
lump o' lead afore we wor many sthrokes o' the oar away from her.
"Well, we dhrifted away all that night, and next mornin' we put up a
blanket an the end av a pole as well as we could, and then we sailed
illegant; for we darn't show a stitch o' canvas the night before, bekase it
was blowin' like bloody murther, savin' your presence, and sure it's the
wondher of the worid we worn't swally'd alive by the ragin' sae.
"Well, away we wint, for more nor a week, and nothin' before our two
good-lookin' eyes but the canophy iv heaven and the wide ocean--the
broad Atlantic; not a thing was to be seen but the sae and the sky; and
though the sae and the sky is mighty purty things in themselves, throth,
they're no great things when you've nothin' else to look at for a week
together; and the barest rock in the world, so it was land, would be
more welkim. And then, soon enough, throth, our provisions began to
run low, the bishkits and the wather and the rum--throth, THAT was
gone first of all--God help uz!--and oh! it was thin that starvation began
to stare us in the face. 'O murther, murther, Captain darlint,' says I, 'I
wish we could land anywhere,' says I.
"'More power to your elbow, Paddy, my boy,' says he, 'for sitch a good
wish, and, throth, it's myself wishes the same.'
"'Och,' says I, 'that it may plase you, sweet queen iv heaven, supposing
it was only a DISSOLUTE island,' says I, 'inhabited wid Turks, sure
they wouldn't be such bad Chrishthans as to refuse us a bit and a sup.'
"'Whisht, whisht, Paddy,' says the captain, 'don't be talking bad of any
one,' says he; 'you don't know how soon you may want a good word put
in for yourself, if you should be called to quarthers in th' other world all
of a suddint," says he.
"'Thrue for you, Captain darlint,' says I--I called him darlint, and made
free with him, you see, bekase disthress makes us all equal--'thrue for
you, Captain jewel--God betune uz and harm, I own no man any
spite'--and, throth, that was only thruth. Well, the last bishkit was
sarved out, and, by gor, the WATHER ITSELF was all gone at last, and
we passed the night mighty cowld. Well, at the brake o' day the sun riz
most beautifully out o' the waves, that was as bright as silver and as
clear as chrystal. But it was only the more cruel upon us, for we wor
beginnin' to feel TERRIBLE hungry; when all at wanst I thought I
spied the land. By gor, I thought I felt my heart up in my throat in a

minit, and 'Thunder an' turf, Captain,' says I, 'look to leeward,' says I.
"'What for?' says he.
"'I think I see the land,' says I.
"So hes ups with his bring-'em-near (that's what the sailors call a
spy-glass, sir), and looks out, and, sure enough, it was.
"'Hurrah!' says he, 'we're all right now; pull away, my boys,' says he.
"'Take care you're not mistaken,' says I; 'maybe it's only a fog-bank,
Captain darlint,' says I.
"'Oh no,' says he; 'it's the land in airnest.'
"'Oh, then, whereaboats in the wide world are we, Captain?' says I;
'maybe it id be in ROOSIA, or PROOSIA, the Garmant Oceant,' says I.
"'Tut, you fool,' says he, for he had that consaited way wid him, thinkin'
himself cleverer nor any one else--'tut, you fool,' says he, 'that's
FRANCE,' says he.
"'Tare an ouns,' says I, 'do you tell me so? and how do you know it's
France it is, Captain dear?' says I.
"'Bekase this is the Bay o' Bishky we're in now,' says he.
"'Throth, I was thinkin' so myself,' says I, 'by the rowl it has; for I often
heerd av it in regard of that same; and, throth, the likes av it I never
seen before nor since, and, with the help of God, never will.'
"Well, with that, my heart began to grow light; and when I seen my life
was safe, I began to grow twice hungrier nor ever; so says I,