His feat
of jumping overboard, to rescue Tim Kelly, had been another step in
advance; and, although Charlie would have denied it himself, there was
no doubt that he generally took the lead, and that his friend was
accustomed to lean upon him, and to look to him always for the
initiative. It was, therefore, a severe blow to Peters, to find that
Charlie was about to be sent on detached service.
As for Tim Kelly, he was uproarious in his grief, when he heard that
he was to be separated from his master.
"Shure, Mr. Charlie, ye'll never have the heart to lave a poor boy,
that sarved ye be night and day for eighteen months. Tim Kelly would
gladly give his life for ye, and ye wouldn't go and lave him behind
ye, and go all alone among these black thaves of the world."
"But it is impossible that I can take you, Tim," Charlie said. "You
know, yourself, that you cannot speak ten words of the language. How
then could you possibly pass undetected, whatever disguise you put
on?"
"But I'd never open my mouth at all, at all, yer honor, barring for
mate and drink."
"It's all very well for you to say so, Tim," Charlie answered; "but I
do not think that anything, short of a miracle, would silence your
tongue.
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