Part 56

‘“I’ve given him my share of the ANTONY,” says my Aunt. “What do you reckon to do about yours?”

‘“She offered it,” said Frankie, laughing.

‘“She wouldn’t have if I’d overheard her,” I says; “because I’d have offered my share first.” Then I told him how the ANTONY’s sails was best trimmed to drive before the wind, and seeing he was full of occupations we went acrost to that Bridport hoy, and left him.

‘But Frankie was gentle-born, d’ye see, and that sort they never overlook any folks’ dues.

‘When the hoy passed under his stern, he stood bare-headed on the poop same as if my Aunt had been his Queen, and his musicianers played “Mary Ambree” on their silver trumpets quite a long while. Heart alive, little maid! I never meaned to make you look sorrowful!

‘Bunny Lewknor in his sackcloth petticoats burst through the birch scrub wiping his forehead.

‘We’ve got the stick to rights now! She’ve been a whole hatful o’ trouble. You come an’ ride her home, Mus’ Dan and Miss Una!’

‘They found the proud wood-gang at the foot of the slope, with the log double-chained on the tug.

‘Cattiwow, what are you going to do with it?’ said Dan, as they straddled the thin part.

‘She’s going down to Rye to make a keel for a Lowestoft fishin’-boat, I’ve heard. Hold tight!’

‘Cattiwow cracked his whip, and the great log dipped and tilted, and leaned and dipped again, exactly like a stately ship upon the high seas.

Frankie’s Trade

Old Horn to All Atlantic said: (A-hay O! To me O!) ‘Now where did Frankie learn his trade? For he ran me down with a three-reef mains’le.’ (All round the Horn!)

Atlantic answered: ‘Not from me! You’d better ask the cold North Sea, For he ran me down under all plain canvas.’ (All round the Horn!)

The North Sea answered: ‘He’s my man, For he came to me when he began-- Frankie Drake in an open coaster. (All round the Sands!)

‘I caught him young and I used him sore, So you never shall startle Frankie more, Without capsizing Earth and her waters. (All round the Sands!)

‘I did not favour him at all, I made him pull and I made him haul-- And stand his trick with the common sailors. (All round the Sands!)

‘I froze him stiff and I fogged him blind, And kicked him home with his road to find By what he could see of a three-day snow-storm. (All round the Sands!)

‘I learned him his trade o’ winter nights, ‘Twixt Mardyk Fort and Dunkirk lights On a five-knot tide with the forts a-firing. (All round the Sands!)

‘Before his beard began to shoot, I showed him the length of the Spaniard’s foot-- And I reckon he clapped the boot on it later. (All round the Sands!) ‘If there’s a risk which you can make That’s worse than he was used to take Nigh every week in the way of his business; (All round the Sands!)

‘If there’s a trick that you can try Which he hasn’t met in time gone by, Not once or twice, but ten times over; (All round the Sands!)

‘If you can teach him aught that’s new, (A-hay O! To me O!) I’ll give you Bruges and Niewport too, And the ten tall churches that stand between ‘em.’ Storm along, my gallant Captains! (All round the Horn!)

THE TREE OF JUSTICE

The Ballad of Minepit Shaw

About the time that taverns shut And men can buy no beer, Two lads went up by the keepers’ hut To steal Lord Pelham’s deer.

Night and the liquor was in their heads-- They laughed and talked no bounds, Till they waked the keepers on their beds, And the keepers loosed the hounds.

They had killed a hart, they had killed a hind, Ready to carry away, When they heard a whimper down the wind And they heard a bloodhound bay.

They took and ran across the fern, Their crossbows in their hand, Till they met a man with a green lantern That called and bade ‘em stand.