Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen.

 

 

 With the boatswain’s instructions by his elbow, Cabin Boy pours rum from jug to jug until he is left with exactly four pints of rum in the larger of the jugs. Then he uses the smaller jug to top it with dark beer. He gives it a quick stir with a clean ladle, before filling a mug with the vile-smelling brew.

It is not an easy task to carry a full mug from one end of a swaying ship to the other, but Cabin Boy spills scarcely a drop before the mug reaches the first mate’s greedy hands. Manners quickly drains it, and stabs the mug back in the direction of Cabin Boy.

“Now I’ll have me kill-devil flip,” he says.

Cabin Boy is confused. “Didn’t I just bring you a kill-devil flip?”

“Nope, that there was a kill-devil joyride. A kill-devil flip has a sprinkling of gunpowder on top. Ye light the gunpowder and watch it spark away before throwing it down yer throat.”

“But didn’t you say a kill-devil flip is four parts rum and one part dark beer?”

“Aye, it is. Four parts kill-devil, one part dark beer - and a sprinkling of gunpowder.”

Cabin Boy does not have to turn to face the sun to know it is dipping dangerously close to the horizon. “I don’t have time to fetch another mug. I gave you four parts of rum to one part dark beer, as you asked me to.  Please, will you just tell me where the bloomers are?”

Mr Manners laughs harshly. “I don’t have yer precious bloomers. I never did.” Noticing Cabin Boy’s crestfallen face, he added, ‘What, did somebody tell you that inside this iron body there beats a heart of gold? They lied! I’m not yer friend, boy - I’m a pirate!”