"'Poor savidge werry hungry,' sez the King. 'Give poor savidge mutton-chop, beefsteak, veal-cutlet, ham an' egg, fried sausidge, liver an' bacon, quail on toast, poached egg, graham roll, and chocolate.'
"'Wee-ow-ow!' yelled the court, jumpin' up an' down an' lickin' its chops.
"'Look here, Kingsy,' sez the Cap'n, 'how long d'ye think this 'ere are a-goin' to last?'
"'Big ship; much grub; eat fur month,' sez the King, sez he.
"'An' wot'll ye do arter ye eat all we got aboard?' asked the Cap'n.
"'Oh, poor savidge werry sorry then, werry sorry,' sez the King, sez he, lookin' fur all the world as ef he was a-goin' to cry; 'but have to eat sailor then.'
"'Wee-ow-ow!' sez the court, werry mournful.
"'May I never see blue water ag'in!" sez the Cap'n.
"'Werry likely you won't,' sez the King, an' with that he jess blubbered an' cried like a babby.
"Waal, them bloomin' beggars eat enough to sink a lighter, an' then they went ashore an' sent off the fam'ly. The steward he were jess about half crazy; an' the head cook he really were a ravin' lunatic, an' jess didn't do nothin' but dance around yellin' orders to cook things. Nex' day it were the same thing all over ag'in, and nex' day, too. All the time that one-epauletted King kept his gang a-workin' on that breakwater, an' inside o' a week it were puffickly certain the _Queen o' Spades_ were shut up in that bloomin' little harbor fur to stay. Waal, to make sight o' land at the other side o' this 'ere yarn wot I'm a-tellin' ye, I'll say that this 'ere sort o' thing kep' a-goin' fur three weeks, an' then the steward he went to the Cap'n, an' he sez to he, sez he, 'There ain't more'n another three days' grub aboard.' An' the Cap'n, sez he, 'Arter dark to-night we'll put that into the boats an' go to sea, an' leave the _Queen o' Spades_ here till we can send a gunboat arter her.' Half an hour later the King come aboard ag'in, an' he were so thin now that the red coat hung around him like a wet rag, w'ile his blessed court looked like a section o' picket-fence turned up on end. Them fellers was just wastin' away a-carryin' sich loads o' good grub. W'en the King see the Cap'n he went up to him with tears in his eyes, and sez he to he, sez he: