Page 231 - LITTLE WOMEN

Little Women

spinning away for dear life, the evil spirit picked up her
victim and put him in a large tin box, where there were
eleven other knights packed together without their heads,
like sardines, who all rose and began to..’

‘Dance a hornpipe,’ cut in Fred, as Jo paused for
breath, ‘and, as they danced, the rubbishy old castle turned
to a man-of-war in full sail. ‘Up with the jib, reef the
tops’l halliards, helm hard alee, and man the guns!’ roared
the captain, as a Portuguese pirate hove in sight, with a
flag black as ink flying from her foremast. ‘Go in and win,
my hearties!’ says the captain, and a tremendous fight
began. Of course the British beat, they always do.’
‘No, they don’t!’ cried Jo, aside.
‘Having taken the pirate captain prisoner, sailed slap
over the schooner, whose decks were piled high with dead
and whose lee scuppers ran blood, for the order had been
‘Cutlasses, and die hard!’ ‘Bosun’s mate, take a bight of the
flying-jib sheet, and start this villain if he doesn’t confess
his sins double quick, ‘ said the British captain. The
Portuguese held his tongue like a brick, and walked the
plank, while the jolly tars cheered like mad. But the sly
dog dived, came up under the man-of-war, scuttled her,
and down she went, with all sail set, ‘To the bottom of the
sea, sea, sea’ where...’ ‘Oh, gracious! What shall I say?’

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