626 NIGHTS IN THE GALLKY. 



conn to-day, just afore we corned to an anchor, the skipper and the 

 first leaftenant came and leaned against the hammock-nettings, and 

 began to spin such a yarn ! By gum ! they launched such long ships 

 I could not understand half their lingo : but one word I caught hold 

 of, they used it so often." 

 " \V hat was it, Will ?" 



" Wait a bit ; dam'me 1 11 think on it directly : wen wenti No, 

 that was'nt it, neither ; I know ; avast now, I'll tell you wen 

 wentriloquist ! Ah, that was it." 



" Holloa, Will, by gum that was a jaw-breaker : what do you call 

 it ?_ wentilist ?" 



" No, wentriloquist; I'm sure that was it, but what it means I'll 

 be d d if I know : do you, Tom ?" 



" No, but I suppose it was summut to eat ; I'll swear there's no 

 such rope in the ship, from the truck to the keelson/' 



" I say, Tom, let's ask the sarjeant of marines : them sodgers 

 knows most about the land-crabs, and I suppose it's something con- 

 sarning of them." 



Away they went to inquire of this important personage, who was 

 excessively fend of launching long ships (as Jack calls making use 

 of long words) ; he pretended to great " laming," and always car- 

 ried a Johnson's dictionary in his pocket to study when he was not 

 engaged. I expected to derive some amusement from the explana- 

 tion, so I shifted my berth a little nearer to the oracle. 



" I say, sarjeant," said Will, who was generally spokesman, 

 " we've been having a bit of an argyment consarning wentriloquist, 

 and we wants you to tell us what it means. I say it's summut about 

 the shore ; Tom says it's summut to eat." 



" I'll tell you directly," said the serjeant, pulling his dictionary 

 out of his pocket. " I know the meaning myself well enough " (not 

 liking to confess his ignorance on any subject), " but I want to find 

 an jeasy explanation for you who haven't had the benefit of a good 

 edication. It's a sad thing, Will, you never went to school ; you 

 don't know the pleasures of learning ; you are in Gothic ignorance. 

 I wish the captain would have a school to teach everybody to read ; 

 it would be a wonderful advantage." 



" Would it teach us to reef a topsail well, master sarjeant ?" said 

 Will. 



" Ah, I see I can't convince/' said the sergeant, in a most con- 

 temptuous tone; "you are in Gothic ignorance Gothic ignorance ; 

 you'll never know the pleasures of literature." 



" Litteratur ! I say, Will, that's not the word, is it ?" said Tom. 

 " No, but it's a jaw-breaker. I say, sarjeant, we did not ask the 

 meaning of that last five-decker. We want ' wentriloquist.' " 



" Well here it is : ventriloquist why, I'll tell you ventriloquist- 

 let me see " (examining his dictionary with a most important look), 

 " why it's a man as what speaks through his guts !" 



This definition gave universal satisfaction, and the tars returned 

 to resume their places. The galley was now filling. 



" Holloa ! Jack Murray, how is it with you, lad ? going to blow a 

 cloud ? Come alongside here, and spin us a yarn." 



