can do it," said the lieutenant shortly; "look
sharp!"
The men grinned, and Dirty Dick by no means looked sharp, but
exceedingly blunt and foolish as he shuffled along the deck, provided
himself with a bucket, and then approached the cow, which had
suddenly began chewing the cud.
"Look at her, mate," said one of the sailors.
"What for?" said the man addressed.
"Some one's been giving her a quid o' bacca."
"Go on."
"But some one has. Look at her chewing."
"Why, so she is!" said the sailor, scratching his head, as he watched the
regular actions of the cow's jaw, as she stood blinking her eyes, and
swinging her tail to and fro, apparently quite content; the more so, that
the sun was shining upon her warmly, and the sea water rapidly
quitting her skin for the deck, where it made a rivulet into one of the
scuppers.
Jack the sailor is easily pleased, for the simple reason that anything is
a relief from the tedium of life on ship-board; consequently the coming
of the cow was like a half-holiday to them at the wrong end of the day,
and they stood about nudging each other, as Dirty Dick trotted up with
his bucket, Archy looking on as much amused as the men.
The cow blinked her eyes, and turned her head to smell at the bucket
which Dick set down on the deck, and stood scratching his head.
"Well, sir, go on," said the lieutenant--"Seems to me, now, Mr Raystoke,
that we ought to have cream and fresh butter. Capital prize you've
taken.--Do you hear, sir? Go on."
"Yes, sir. Beg pardon, sir, but you see I wants something to sit on.
'Nother bucket."
"You, sir, fetch another bucket," said the lieutenant sharply; and
another was brought, turned upside down, and, taking the first bucket,
amidst the titterings of the men, Dick seated himself, leaned his head
against the cow's side, placed the vessel between his legs, and began to
operate in true dairyman style upon the cow.
Whack! Bang! Clatter!
There was a tremendous roar of laughter from every one on board
except from Dirty Dick, who was down on his back a couple of yards
away, staring at the cow as if wondering how she could have gone off
as she did. For the quiet-looking, inoffensive beast was standing
perfectly still again, blinking her eyes and chewing her cud, but
writhing and twisting her tail about as if it were an eel, after, at Dick's
first touch, raising one of her hind legs and sending the pail flying
across the deck and the would-be milker backwards.
"Come, come," said the lieutenant, wiping his eyes and trying to look
very important and stern, "that's not the right way, my man. Try again."
Dick rose unwillingly, planted the upturned bucket once more in its
place, and took the milking bucket from one of the men who had picked
it up. Then, sitting down again rather nervously, he once more placed
the vessel between his legs, stuck his head against the cow's side, and
prepared to milk.
Whack!
The bucket flew along the deck again, and Dick bounded away, saving
himself from falling this time as he was prepared, and made a sudden
leap backwards to stand wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
There was another roar of laughter, and the lieutenant bade Dick try
again.
The man gave his officer an appealing look which seemed to say, "Tell
me to board the enemy, sir, and I'll go, but don't ask me to do this."
"Come; be smart!"
Dick turned, glanced wistfully at Archy, shaking his head at him
reproachfully, sighed, and, taking the bucket again, he looked into it
with his rugged brown face full of despair.
"It's quite empty, Dick," said the middy, laughing.
"Yes, sir; there's nowt in it, and," he added to himself, "not like to be."
Again he settled himself into his place in as businesslike a way as a
farm lad would who was accustomed to the cow-shed, but the moment
he began the cow gave her tail a swing, lifted her leg, and planted it in
the bucket, holding it down on the deck.
"Pail's full," cried Archy; and the men yelled with delight, their officer
vainly trying to control his own mirth as Dick began to pat and
apostrophise the cow.
"Coom, coom! Coosh, cow, then," he said soothingly. "Tak' thy leg oot
o' the boocket, my bairn;" and to the astonishment of all present the
cow lifted her leg and set it down again on deck.
"Well done, my lad," cried the lieutenant. "Now, then, look sharp with
the milk."
Dick sighed, wiped his hands down the sides of his breeches, and began
once more, but at the first touch of the
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