'"
"'That little wash of sea won't more than start a sheet or two of
copper,' says she, when Munster kicked," Sparrowhawk explained. "Oh,
she's no green un, that girl."
"'Then I'll rescue your recruits and sail away--simple, ain't it?' says
she," Munster continued. "'You hang up one tide,' says she; 'the next is
the big high water. Then you kedge off and go after more recruits.
There's no law against recruiting when you're empty.' 'But there is
against starving 'em,' I said; 'you know yourself there ain't any _kai-
kai_ to speak of aboard of us, and there ain't a crumb on the _Martha_.'"
"We'd all been pretty well on native _kai-kai_, as it was," said
Sparrowhawk.
"'Don't let the _kai-kai_ worry you, Captain Munster,' says she; 'if I
can find grub for eighty-four mouths on the _Martha_, the two of you can
do as much by your two vessels. Now go ahead and get aground before a
steady breeze comes up and spoils the manoeuvre. I'll send my boats the
moment you strike. And now, good-day, gentlemen.'"
"And we went and did it," Sparrowhawk said solemnly, and then emitted a
series of chuckling noises. "We laid over, starboard tack, and I pinched
the _Emily_ against the spit. 'Go about,' Captain Munster yells at me;
'go about, or you'll have me aground!' He yelled other things, much
worse.
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