Excerpt: ...not more than a few inches deep, only wet the boots of the mariners. "You great ass, Diggy! why didn't you port?" demanded the captain. The mate, who as a matter of fact could not have told the difference between the nautical "port" and home-made ginger-beer, answered promptly, "So I did;" and the two officers commenced to punch each other with their disengaged hands. This combat, which was conducted with the utmost good feeling on both sides, had been continued for nearly a minute, when the passenger, on whose ...
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Excerpt: ...not more than a few inches deep, only wet the boots of the mariners. "You great ass, Diggy! why didn't you port?" demanded the captain. The mate, who as a matter of fact could not have told the difference between the nautical "port" and home-made ginger-beer, answered promptly, "So I did;" and the two officers commenced to punch each other with their disengaged hands. This combat, which was conducted with the utmost good feeling on both sides, had been continued for nearly a minute, when the passenger, on whose unoffending back a large proportion of the blows were falling, remarked, - "Well, if we aren't going to stop here all day, when you've quite done we'd better think about getting out." They were at least four yards from the shore, and it was impossible to reach it dry-shod. "Some one must take off his boots and socks and haul her out," said Diggory. "Well, I can't," answered Jack; "the captain never ought to leave the ship." "Oh, I'll go," answered Mugford, laughing; and accordingly, after performing some complicated gymnastic feats in getting off his boots, he slid from the seat into the water, and so hauled the "coffee-mill" back to terra firma. It would be impossible to describe in detail all the alarming incidents which happened during the outward passage. They had not gone a quarter of a mile further when something went wrong with the brake. They flew down a long hill, holding on for dear life, nothing but the grand way in which the mate managed this time to steer a straight course down the middle of the road saving them from destruction. Nevertheless, mounting the last slope was such hard labour that Mugford had to turn to and "work his passage," by every now and again taking a spell at the treadles. "Look here!" said Diggory at length: "don't you think we've gone far enough? we shan't be back in time for tea." "Oh, I forgot," answered the captain. "We'll see. Stand by your anchor! Let go-o-o!" The "coffee-mill" stopped, and Jack Vance...
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