“Now,” said Bai-Jove-Judson, on whom the last remark was lost, “will you have the goodness to explain what the deuce you mean by all this nonsense?”
“It was of a necessitate,” said the little man. “The operations of war are unconformible. I am the Governor and I operate Captain. Be'old my little sword.”
“Confound your little sword, sir. I don't want it. You've fired on our flag. You've been firing at our people here for a week, and I've been fired at coming up the river.”
“Ah! The 'Guadala'. She have misconstrued you for a slaver possibly. How are the 'Guadala'?”
“Mistook a ship of Her Majesty's navy for a slaver! You mistake any craft for a slaver! Bai Jove, sir, I've a good mind to hang you at the yard-arm!”
There was nothing nearer that terrible spar than the walking-stick in the rack of Judson's cabin. The Governor looked at the one mast and smiled a deprecating smile.
“The position is embarrassment,” he said. “Captain, do you think those illustrious traders burn my capital? My people will give them beer.”
“Never mind the traders, I want an explanation.”
“Hum! There are popular uprising in Europe, Captain--in my country.” His eye wandered aimlessly round the horizon.
“Captain, you are very young. There is still uproariment. But!”--here he slapped his chest till his epaulets jingled--“I am loyalist to pits of all my stomachs.”
“Go on,” said Judson, and his mouth quivered.
“An order arrive to me to establish a custom-houses here, and to collect of the taximent from the traders when she are come here necessarily. That was on account of political understandings with your country and mine. But on that arrangement there was no money also. Not one damn little cowrie. I desire damnably to extend all commercial things, and why? I am loyalist and there is rebellion--yes, I tell you--Republics in my country for to just begin. You do not believe? See some time how it exist. I cannot make this custom-houses and pay the so high-paid officials. The people too in my country they say the king she has no regardance into Honour of her nation. He throw away everything--Gladstone her all, you say, pay?”
“Yes, that's what we say,” said Judson with a grin.
“Therefore they say, let us be Republics on hot cakes. But I--I am loyalist to all my hands' ends. Captain, once I was attache at Mexico. I say the Republics are no good. The peoples have her stomach high. They desire--they desire--a course for the bills.”