FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54  
55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   >>   >|  
aventure_," remarked the shipwright, meditatively. "Iss, her be a very purty ship, very purty indeed. What be her exact tonnage, Garge?" "One hundred and twenty-seven," answered George. "Yes," he agreed, "she _is_ a pretty ship in every way, and as good as she is pretty. And fast! There's nothing sailing out of Plymouth that can beat her-- although perhaps I ought not to say as much to you, Mr Radlett, seeing that 'twas Mr Mason, your rival, who built her." "Never mind vor that, boy, never mind vor that," answered Radlett, heartily. "'Tis true what you do say of the ship, every word of it; and she be a credit to the man who built her, although he do set up to be my rival. But 'twont be true very much longer, Garge, for I've a-got a ship upon my stocks now as'll beat the _Bonaventure_ every way and in all weathers. I've a called her the _Nonsuch_, because there's never been nothin' like her avore. I drawed out the plans of her shortly a'ter the _Bonaventure_ was launched, because I couldn't abear to be beaten by Mason nor nobody else. And I altered they plans, and altered 'em, and altered 'em until I couldn't vind no more ways of improvin' of 'em, and then I started to build. And now the _Nonsuch_ be just ready for launchin', and I'd like you to come over and look at her avore I puts her into the water." "Certainly; I will do so with very great pleasure," answered George, delightedly, for he had a very shrewd suspicion that this invitation meant more than appeared upon the surface, that indeed--who knew?--it might mean that the eccentric old fellow was rather taken with his (George's) scheme, and might be induced to take a very important hand in it. "When shall I come?" "Come just so soon as ever you can, the sooner the better; to-morrow if you do like," answered Radlett. "And now," he continued, rising, "I must be gettin' along, for 'tis growin' late and I be keepin' of you from your supper. No, thank'e, madam, I won't stay. My supper be waitin' vor me to whoam, and a'ter I've had it I've a lot o' things to do that won't wait for time or tide. So good-bye to 'e both. And you, madam, keep up your spirits about Mr Hubert; for I'll warrant that Garge, here, 'll have mun out o' Spanish prison in next to no time." George was up and stirring betimes on the following morning, and, after an early breakfast, set out for Mr Radlett's shipyard at Millbay. He found the old man busily engaged upon certain
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54  
55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Radlett

 

George

 

answered

 

altered

 

Nonsuch

 
Bonaventure
 

couldn

 

supper

 

pretty

 

rising


growin
 

gettin

 

continued

 

Plymouth

 

keepin

 

sailing

 

sooner

 
induced
 

important

 

scheme


fellow

 

morrow

 

morning

 

betimes

 

stirring

 

Spanish

 
prison
 
busily
 

engaged

 
breakfast

shipyard

 

Millbay

 

things

 
waitin
 

eccentric

 

Hubert

 

warrant

 

spirits

 
nothin
 

meditatively


weathers

 

called

 

drawed

 

beaten

 

remarked

 

launched

 
shortly
 
agreed
 

shipwright

 

hundred