The Green Hand: Adventures of a Naval LieutenantCupples, George
General
The Green Hand: Adventures of a Naval Lieutenant
Cupples, George
Sea stories; Seafaring life -- Juvenile fiction; Voyages and travels -- Juvenile fiction
Yankee seemed rather taken aback at first, and didn't know what to make
of him. 'S'laam sah'b,' said the dark servant with an impudent look, and
loud enough for me to hear, as I stepped from aft. 'Judge sahib i-send
genteeman salaam--say too much hivvy boot he get--all same as
_illimphant_. S'pose master not so much loud walk _this_ side?'
'_Well!_' broke out the American, looking at the Bengalee's flat turban
and moustache, as if he were too great a curiosity to be angry with,
then turning on his heel to proceed with his walk. 'Now, mister,' said
he to me, 'that's what I call an incalculable imp_u_dent black; but he's
the first I ever saw with hair on his lip, it's a fact.' 'Master not
_mind_?' said the _kitmagar_, raising his key next time Mr Snout wheeled
round. 'Judge sahib burra burra buhadoorkea!--ver' great man!' 'Low
niggur!' said Mr Snout, tramping away aft; 'there's your British
regoolations, I say, young man--niggurs bààing on the quarter-deck, and
free-born citizens put off it!' '_Bhote khoob_, mistree!' squeaked out
the native again; 'burra judge sahib not to i-sleep apter he dine, eh?
Veri well; I tell the sahib, passiger mistree moor stamp-i-stamp all the
moor I can say!' So off he went to report in the poop-cabin. A little
after up shot a head wrapped in a yellow bandana, just on the level of
the poop-deck, looking through the breast-rail; and the next thing I saw
was the great East-Indian himself, with a broad-flapped Manilla hat over
his topgear, and a red-flowered dressing-gown, standing beside the
binnacle with Captain Williamson. 'What the deuce, Captain Williamson,'
said the judge, with an angry glance up to the poop,' cannot I close my
eyelids after dinner for one instant--in my own private apartments,
sir--for his hideous noise? Who the deuce _is_ that person there--eh,
eh?' 'He's an American gentleman, I believe, Sir Charles,' replied the
captain. '_Believe_, sir,' said the judge; 'you ought to _know_ every
individual, I think, Captain Williamson, whom you admitted into this
vessel. I expressly stipulated for quiet, sir--I understood that no
suspicious or exceptionable persons should travel in the same conveyance
with _my_ suwarry. I'd have taken the whole ship, sir!' 'I've no more to
do than tell him the regulations aboard, Sir Charles,' said the captain,
'and the annoyance will cease.' '_Tell_ him, indeed!' said the judge, a
little more good-humouredly. 'Why, captain, the man looks like a
sea-pirate. You should have taken only such raw griffins as that young
lad on the other side. Ho, _kitmagar_!' '_Maharaj?_' said the footman,
bowing down to the deck. '_Slippers lao!_' '_Jee khodabund_,' answered
the native, and immediately after he reappeared from the round-house
door, with a pair of turned-up yellow slippers. 'Take them up with my
salaam to that gentleman there,' said Sir Charles, in Hindoostanee, 'and
ask him to use them.' 'Hullo!' sung out Mr Snout, on being hove-to by
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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