There was also an old cart in front of one of the huts, out of which
two boys came and began to gather wood and to kindle a fire. They
were ragged and hungry, and looked shyly at Jack Shay. One was Bill
Clancy, and the other had been printer's devil to Hardy, of the
'Gazette', and was therefore known as Dick the Devil. They had been
picked up in Melbourne by Captain Davy, who had brought them to Port
Albert in his whaleboat. Their ambition had been for "a life on the
ocean wave, and a home on the rolling deep," as heroic young
pirates; but at present they lived on shore, and their home was
George Scutt's old cart.
A man emerged from one of the huts carrying a candle-box, which he
laid on the ground before the fire. Jack observed that the box was
full of eggs, on the top of which lay two teaspoons. The man was
Captain David, usually known as Davy. He said:
"I am going to ask you to breakfast, Jack; but you have been a long
time coming, and provisions are scarce in these parts."
"Don't you make no trouble whatsomever about me," said Jack. "Many's
the time I've hadshort rations, and I can take pot-luck with any man."
"You'll find pot-luck here is but poor luck," replied Davy. "I've
got neither grub nor grog, no meat, no flour, no tea, no sugar--
nothing but eggs; but, thank God, I've got plenty of them.
Pages:
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305