. Captains all. oh, lor ! He stood with his writhing burden wedgedbetween his body and the ladder, and lookedup despairingly at the mate. Im afraid Ive made a mistake, he saidin a trembling voice. The mate struck a match and looked down. Take that sack off, he demanded, sternly. The cook placed his burden upon its feet,and running up the ladder stood by the mateshivering. The latter struck another match,and the twain watched in breathless silencethe writhings of the strange creature belowas the covering worked slowly upwards. Inthe fourth match it got free, and revealed theempurpled visage of
. Captains all. oh, lor ! He stood with his writhing burden wedgedbetween his body and the ladder, and lookedup despairingly at the mate. Im afraid Ive made a mistake, he saidin a trembling voice. The mate struck a match and looked down. Take that sack off, he demanded, sternly. The cook placed his burden upon its feet,and running up the ladder stood by the mateshivering. The latter struck another match,and the twain watched in breathless silencethe writhings of the strange creature belowas the covering worked slowly upwards. Inthe fourth match it got free, and revealed theempurpled visage of the master of tht Susannah. For the fraction of a second the cook gazed athim in speechless horror, and then, with a hope-less cry, sprang ashore and ran for it, hotlypursued by his enraged victim. At the time THE MADNESS OF MR. LISTER 241 of sailing he was still absent, and the skipper,loth to part two such friends, sent Mr. JamesLister, at the urgent request of the anxiouscrew, to look for him. 16 THE WHITECAT. The White Cat nr^HE traveller stood looking from the tap-room window of the Cauliflower at thefalling rain. The village street below wasempty, and everything was quiet with theexception of the garrulous old man smokingwith much enjoyment on the settle behindhim. Itll do a power o good, said the ancient,craning his neck round the edge of the settleand turning a bleared eye on the window. Iaint like some folk ; I never did mind a dropo rain. The traveller grunted and, returning to thesettle opposite the old man, fell to lazily strok-ing a cat which had strolled in attracted by thewarmth of the small fire which smouldered inthe grate. Hes a good mouser, said the old man, 246 THE WHITE CAT but I expect that Smith the landlord wouldsell im to anybody for arf a crown ; but we ada cat in Claybury once that you couldnt habought for a hundred golden sovereigns. The traveller continued to caress the cat. A white cat, with one yaller eye and oneblue one, continued the old man. It
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