All this wars said and done so
quietly, that nobody took the alarm; and when the mate called out, in
a loud voice, "Miles, pass a bread-bag filled and some cold grub into
that launch--the men may be hungry before they get back," no one
seemed to think more was meant than was thus openly expressed. I had
my private orders, however, and managed to get quite a hundred-weight
of good cabin biscuit into the launch, while the cook was directed to
fill his coppers with pork. I got some of the latter _raw_ into
the boat, too; _raw_ pork being food that sailors in no manner
disdain. They say it eats like chestnuts.
In the mean time, the captain was busy in his exploring expedition, on
the return from which he appeared to think he was better rewarded than
has certainly fallen to the lot of others employed on another
expedition which bears the same name. He was absent near two hours,
and, when he got back, it was to renew his theory of what Mr. Marble
called his "bloody currents."
"I've got behind the curtain, Mr. Marble," commenced Captain Robbins,
before he was fairly alongside of the ship again, whereupon Marble
muttered "ay! ay! you've got behind the rocks, too!" "It's all owing
to an eddy that is made in-shore by the main current, and we have
stretched a _leetle_ too far in.
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