youd bin an gaged yerself into
the fome, my mind has bin Onaisy. Ye no, darlint, from the our ye
cald me yer own Susan--in clare county More betoken--iv bin onaisy
about ye yer so bowld an Rekles, but this is wurst ov all. Iv no
noshun o them sandlewood skooners. The Haf ov thems pirits an The
other hafs no beter. Whats wus is that my owld master was drownded in
wan, or out o wan, but shure its All the Saim. Down he wint an that
wos the Endd.

"now Deer jo don't go to say in that skooner i beseech ye, jo. Ye
towld me that ye liked the looks o the cappen an haited the looks o
the Krew. Now deer, take warnin, think ov me. Think ov the words in
the coppie book weev writ so often together at owld makmahons skool,
eevil emunishakens Krupt yer maners, i misrember it, but ye no wot id
be sayin' to ye.

"o jo Don't go, but cum an see me as soon as iver ye can

"yours til deth.

"SUSAN.

"P.S. the piggs is quite livly but ther not so hansum heer as in the
owld country. Don't forgit to rite to your susan."

No one can conceive the indignation that swelled the broad chest of
honest John Bumpus when he listened to the laughter with which some
parts of this letter were received.

"Now," said Dan, "could any man want better proof than this that John
Bumpus _is not_ a pirate?"

This question was answered by a perfect yell from the crowd.

"Set him free; cut his cords!" cried a voice.

"Stop, friends," cried a big coarse-looking man, leaping on the table
and jostling Dan out of the way. "Not quite so fast. I don't pretend
to be a learned feller, and I can't make a speech with a buttery tongue
like Dan here. But wot I've got to say is--Justice for ever!"

"Hurrah!" from some of the wild spirits of the crowd. "Go on, Burke,"
from others.

"Yes, wot I say is--Justice for ever! Fair play an' no favour: _That's_
wot I say!"

Another cheer greeted the bold assertion of these noble sentiments.

"Now, here it is," continued Burke, becoming much excited, "wot's to
hinder that there letter bein' a forgery?--ay, that's the word, a
forgery? (Hear! hear!) got up a-purpose to bamboozle us chaps that
ain't lawyers. D'ye see?"

Burke glanced at Dan and smote his thigh triumphantly as he said this.

"It does not _look_ like a forgery," said Dan, holding up the letter and
pointing to the writing. "I leave it to yourselves to say if it
_sounds_ like a forgery--"

"I don't care a