CAPTAIN BALAAM
OF THE 'CORMORANT'
AND OTHER SEA COMEDIES
BY MORLEY ROBERTS
AUTHOR OF
'THE PROMOTION OF THE ADMIRAL,' ETC.
LONDON
EVELEIGH NASH
1905
Edinburgh: T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty
CONTENTS
II. THE ORDER OF THE WOODEN GUN
III. CAPTAIN BALAAM OF THE CORMORANT
IV. JACK-ALL-ALONE
V. THE MUTINOUS CONDUCT OF MRS. RYDER
THE OWNER OF THE PATRIARCH
If any one cares to look up the Patriarch inLloyd's List, it will be discovered that the linegiven to her reads thus:—
And all these hieroglyphics mean somethingto the initiated, of whom, as a matter of fact,there are more ashore than at sea. But themain point is that the owner of her wasT. Tyser, and it matters very little whethershe was built of heavier plating than the rulesrequired, or whether she was cemented, orbuilt under special survey, or what not. ForT. Tyser, otherwise Mr. Thomas Tyser, wasnot only the owner of the Patriarch, but alsothe owner of a dozen other vessels all beginningwith a P. He was, moreover, the owner of alarge block of land in the heart of Melbourne;he had several streets, of which the biggestwas Tyser Street, S.E., in London, and hisbanking account was certainly of heavier metalthan he had any personal use for. He was arough dog from the north country, and in thecourse of half a century's fight in London hecame out top-dog in his own line, and was moreor less of a millionaire.
'And he's my uncle,' said Geordie Potts;'his sister was my mother, and here I ambefore the stick in one of his old wind-jammers,and gettin' two-pun-ten in this here Patriarchof his, and hang me if I believe the oldbloke has another relative in the world. It'shard lines, mates, it's hard lines. Don't youallow it's hard lines?'
It was Sunday morning in the South-EastTrades, and every sail was drawing, 'like abally droring-master,' as Geordie once said,and the 'crowds' of the Patriarch were allfairly easy in their minds and ready for adiscussion.
'If so be you are 'is nevvy, as you state,'said the port watch cautiously, 'we allows it's'ard lines.'
'I've stated it frequent,' said Geordie, 'andit's the truth, the whole truth, and nothin'but it, so help me. D'ye think I'd claim tobe old Tyser's sister's son if I wasn't? I'dscorn to claim it.'
'Any man would scorn to be Tyser's sister'sson,' said the starboard watch; 'he'd scorn tobe 'im unless 'e was, for Tyser's a mean olddog, ain't 'e, Geordie?'
Geordie thanked his watch-mat