As they approached the Buccaneer swept the shores with his glass, "She
seems to be going in for repairs, Master Dogvane." Dogvane remained
silent, as his eyes rested upon the land in front. He knew more about
things than he wished to say. "I told you, sir," he said, "that we had
knocked down a few forts."
As they approached nearer they saw the Egyptian Queen sitting upon a
heap of ruins; her right elbow on her knee, her head resting upon her
hand. Her flashing eyes showed there was anger in her heart; that
something was wrong. Dogvane evidently did not like the look of things,
for when his master landed he hung back; but the Buccaneer, not knowing
the cause of Egypt's sorrow, went boldly forward. When he spoke Egypt
turned so fiercely upon him, that he was taken completely aback. "Hence
fiend!" she cried, as she pointed to the sea. The Buccaneer looked for
his captain, but that worthy was keeping out of the way and was
pretending to look for shell fish. His master hailed him and he arrived
just in time to hear Egypt say, "The Ten Plagues with which God smote me
in days of old were as blessings compared with thy accursed friendship."
"Dogvane!" exclaimed the Buccaneer, "how's this?"
"'Tis passing strange, sir! all official information is dumb upon the
subject." Then turning aside he said: "How the hag raves."
Egypt rose up from her throne of crumbled stones and stood majestic.
Extending her right arm towards her afflicted country and looking at the
Buccaneer, with eyes filled with hatred, she exclaimed, "You have slain
my children and their blood has flowed out like water upon the sands of
the desert. Their bones lie bleaching in the sun; a witness to thy
barbarity and cruelty You have burnt my children's homes; driven off
their flocks, laid waste their lands and destroyed their wells; but with
parched throats and blistered tongues they curse you."
"Dear me!" was all the Buccaneer could say. Egypt continued: "You have
set my children at each other's throats, and yet you dare stand before
me." The Buccaneer turned to go away and Dogvane prepared to follow and
showed considerable alacrity in getting to the boat. The parting words
of Egypt fell upon the ears of the old Sea King and dwelt long in his
memory; being very unwelcome guests there; making their voices heard
when all else was wrapped in slumber. "Hence thou blighting plague!" she
cried, or rather hissed. "Begone thou hypocrite! thou Christian
masquerader! for in thy footsteps follow poverty, ruin, and misery. May
the curses of the widow and the fatherless attend thee!"
"Tut, tut!" ejaculated Dogvane, "how the hussy raves!"
"God bless me!" exclaimed the Buccaneer, when they were well away. "What
say you to that, Master Dogvane?"
"As a curse, sir, it is undoubtedly good, and as a specimen of female
anger it is by no means bad. The baggage! Here is ingratitude for you.
But I told you how it would be, sir. I had a kind of a presentiment that
the other watch had been at their handiwork even here."
"If you, Master Dogvane, were as ready to keep out of difficulties as
you are to saddle them upon other people's backs it would be the better
for you."
"It is enough to make a saint swear," replied the captain. "I feel
inclined to register a vow to heaven never again to do a good turn to a
living soul. What language the vixen used!"
"She called me a hypocrite! a Christian masquerader! I, who pride myself
upon my righteousness. I, who have held my head so high, to be called a
Christian masquerader!"
"Sir," said Dogvane with extreme respect, "if one so humble, may dare
offer an opinion, I should say that pride is not a Christian virtue, and
sooner or later it must have its fall."
"Yes, fellow! but I do not want the fall to come from thy hands. Is
this what you call being respected abroad? Is this your pinnacle of
greatness?"
"I am not to blame, my master. It is the other watch. What though the
Egyptian gipsy raves; what though our cousin Germany and fickle France
be cold, and Austria and Turkey aggrieved by some idle words, say if you
like, of mine, you have with you, my master, the whole Calf of Man."
"Out upon thee for a blatant wind-bag!" cried the Buccaneer, now out of
all patience with Dogvane. "Out of my sight," he exclaimed, "keep clear
of me, or, by Heaven, you will have with you the whole toe of my broad
boot." They took to their boat, and the Buccaneer ordered his men to
bend their backs to their oars. Dogvane, who knew his master too well to
trifle with him in his present mood, doubled himself up in the bows, and
taking out of his pocket his Bible, he was soon lost in the Mosaic
Cosmogony.