"
"I don't want your money. I want my wife!" yelled Hancock.
"And I mine!" yelled Pengelly.
"And I mine!" yelled Treleaven.
By this time the gig had fallen alongside the tender, and the women
in the tender's hold were coming up to daylight, one by one.
Sal herself stood watching the jail-delivery; and first of all she
blinked a bit, after the darkness below, and next she let out a
laugh, and then she reached up a hand and began unplaiting her
pigtail.
"Be you the Captain of this here ship?" asks she, looking up and
addressing herself to one of the officers leaning overside.
"Yes, my man; this here's the _Ranger_ frigate, and I'm her Captain.
I'm sorry for you--it goes against my grain to impress men in this
fashion: but the law's the law, and we're ready for sea, and if
you've any complaints to make I hope you'll cut 'em short."
"I don't know," says Sal, "that I've any complaints to make, except
that I was born a woman. That I went on to marry that pea-green
tailor yonder is my own fault, and we'll say no more about it."
By this time all the women on the tender were following Sal's example
and unshredding their back-hair.
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