H.M.S. "PINAFORE"
body of the crew, with Ralph among them, advancing on tip-toe towards the boats which were hanging from irons, called davits, in the ship's side, and at the same time Josephine came out of her cabin with her hand-bag in her hand, and crept silently to where Ralph was standing. It was more than flesh and blood could stand, and, in the anger of the moment, the Captain exclaimed "Bother!" and brought the cat-o'-nine-tails down on the breach of a gun which happened to be handy.
All the crew were dreadfully startled.
"Why! what was that?" said Bob Buntline, one of the sailors who had not yet spoken.
"It was only the cat," said Bill Boom.
Bill Boom was perfectly right. It was the "cat."
As Josephine met Ralph, and while the crew were mustering on the quarter-deck, the Captain glanced hastily through his rhyming dictionary, and, having found what he wanted, revealed himself, exclaiming "Hold!"
Much alarmed and greatly astonished to find their Captain among them, they all held.
Captain Corcoran advanced and seizing his daughter by the hand twirled her away from Ralph
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