alls yer a dirty spy. A swab! A landlubber! Fer
one copper farthin' I 'd ketch yer one with this hook.

DUKE: It was me discovered him. I asks yer, Captain, ter leave Red Joe
ter me. I hates him most perticerler.

(_Betsy enters from the kitchen._)

BETSY: Did you call, Captain?

DARLIN': Nobody ain 't callin' yer, dearie. Now jest toddle back to
the kitchen.

DUKE: This ain 't no place fer a leetle girl. It will give yer bad
dreams. Mince pie 's nothin'.

(_Betsy attempts to leave the cabin by the door that leads to the
cliffs--the door at the rear of the cabin._)

DUKE: Where you goin', Betsy?

BETSY: I 've an errand in the village.

DUKE: Well, yer ain 't goin'. It ain 't no night fer a leetle girl ter
be out. I ain 't goin' ter have me Duchess snifflin' with a cold. Go
to grandma! It was me discovered him, Captain. I 'm askin' yer a
favor. He 's a snooper.

PATCH: Captain, I gets rusty.

CAPTAIN: Lay off, me hearties. Duke! Patch! I loves both o' yer. I
loves yer equal, like two mugs o' grog as is full alike. Yer can pitch
dice ter see which does it.

(_He places the dice cup on the table beside the candle. The Duke and
Patch take their places. Betsy, under cover of this centered interest,
runs to Red Joe, who whispers to her._)

DUKE: I drops 'em in me mug, so 's they can get a smell o' rum. The
leetle bones is me friends. I never throws less 'n a five spot. I
makes a pint o' shakin' the bones till they rattles jolly. I likes the
sound o' it even better 'n the blessed scrapin' o' a spoon what 's
stirrin' grog. Write it on me tombstone--if I rots ashore--He was the
kinder feller as never throwed less 'n a five spot.

[Illustration: "The leetle bones is me friends"]

CAPTAIN: Go 'long, Duke. Bones, as is kept waitin', sulks.

PATCH: One or three?

DUKE: One 's enough. I 'm talkin' to yer, bones. I wants sixes,
sweeties.

(_As he throws Betsy jostles the candle with her arm. It overturns and
falls. The cabin is dark. You can see her run from the cabin and pass
the windows to the left._)

DUKE: Now yer done it!

PATCH: You is all thumbs, Betsy.

CAPTAIN: Easy, mates! It were jest an accident. Betsy, fetch a seacoal
from the hearth! Betsy! We ain 't goin' ter wallop yer. Where are yer,
Betsy?

DARLIN': Come out o' yer hidin'!

CAPTAIN: I 'll light the candle meself.

(_He takes it to the fire, lights it and returns to the table._)

CAPTAIN: There yer are--blazin' like ol' Petey. Yer ha