The Amateur Gentleman

"And he was limping, you say?" inquired Barnabas, thoughtfully.

"And serve him right, sir--egad! I say damme! he should limp in

irons to Botany Bay and stay there if I had my way."

"Did you happen to notice the color of his coat?" inquired Barnabas

again.

"Ay, 't was green, sir; but what of it--have you seen him?"

"I think I have, sir," said Barnabas, "if 't was a green coat he wore.

Pray, sir, what might his name be?"

"His name, sir, is Carnaby--Sir Mortimer Carnaby."

"Sir Mortimer Carnaby!" said Barnabas, nodding his head.

"And, sir," pursued his informant, regarding Barnabas from beneath

his frowning brows, "since it is your ambition to cut a figure in

the World of Fashion, your best course is to cultivate him, frequent

his society as much as possible, act upon his counsel, and in six

months, or less, I don't doubt you'll be as polished a young

blackguard as any of 'em. Good morning, sir."

Here the one-armed gentleman nodded and turned to enter the field.

"Sir," said Barnabas, "one moment! Since you have been so obliging

as to describe a Buck, will you tell me who and what in your

estimation is a gentleman?"

"A gentleman? Egad, sir! must I tell you that? No, I say I

won't--the Bo'sun shall." Hereupon the speaker faced suddenly about

and raised his voice: "Aft there!" he bellowed. "Pass the word for

the Bo'sun--I say where's Bo'sun Jerry?"

Immediately upon these words there came another roar surprisingly

hoarse, deep, and near at hand.

"Ay, ay, sir! here I be, Cap'n," the voice bellowed back. "Here I be,

sir, my helm hard a-starboard, studden sails set, and all a-drawing

alow and aloft, but making bad weather on it on account o' these

here furrers and this here jury-mast o' mine, but I'll fetch up

alongside in a couple o' tacks."

Now glancing in the direction of the voice, Barnabas perceived a

head and face that bobbed up and down on the opposite side of the

hedge. A red face it was, a jovial, good-humored face, lit up with

quick, bright eyes that twinkled from under a prodigious pair of

eyebrows; a square honest face whose broad good nature beamed out

from a mighty bush of curling whisker and pigtail, and was

surmounted by a shining, glazed hat.

Being come opposite to them, he paused to mop at his red face with a

neckerchief of vivid hue, which done, he touched the brim of the

glazed hat, and though separated from them by no more than the hedge

and ditch, immediately let out another roar--for all the world as

though he had been hailing the maintop of a Seventy-four in a gale

of wind.

"Here I be, Cap'n!" he bellowed, "studden sails set an' drawing,

tho' obleeged to haul my wind, d'ye see, on account o' this here

spar o' mine a-running foul o' the furrers." Having said the which,

he advanced again with a heave to port and a lurch to starboard very

like a ship in a heavy sea; this peculiarity of gait was explained as

he hove into full view, for then Barnabas saw that his left leg was

gone from the knee and had been replaced by a wooden one.