Suddenly he pointed to a
stout young sailor named Tom, and cried:
"Stop sir, you are an Englishman!"
"I am not, capen, ye's mistaken, I was born at Plymouth, Massachusetts."
"Don't dispute my word, sir. I know you, seize him!"
Though three of Tom's messmates offered to swear that he was a native of
Massachusetts, he was seized, ironed and hurried away. Two more were
selected, despite the protests of Captain Parson, who was raging like a
madman, and hurried aboard the frigate. The fourth man halted in the
procession was Job, the colored cook.
"Stop, sir, I want you!" said the English officer.
[Illustration: "DO YOU THINK DAR IS ANY ANGLER SAXUN BLOOD IN DESE
VEINS?"]
"Want me, Capen? oh, golly! I ain't a Britisher!" cried Job,
gesticulating wildly. "Do I look like I war a Britisher? Do you think
dar is any Angler Sacksun blood in dese veins?"
Job howled and appealed in vain. The commander of the _Sea Wing_
declared him to be an English negro, and he was hurried away to try the
hard service on board a British war vessel.
Having culled the crew of the _Dover_ to his heart's content, the
haughty Briton went aboard his own ship and continued his cruise,
leaving Captain Parson expressing his ideas in such language as no
parson should use.
CHAPTER V.
FERNANDO'S JOURNEY EAST. HE MEETS WITH QUEER PEOPLE.
From the day Fernando Stevens began to read and learn of the great world
beyond the narrow confines of his western home, he was filled with the
laudable ambition to know more about it.
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