'Well, Emeline,' says I, 'here I be.' "No answer, so I tried again.

'Well, Emeline,' says I, 'I've fetched port finally.' "She didn't answer me then, but Bennie D.laughed.He had a way of laughin' that made other folks want to cry--or kill him.

For choice I'd have done the killin' first.
"'More nautical conversation, sister,' says he.

'He knows how fond you are of that sort of thing.' "You see, Emeline never did like to hear me talk sailor talk; it reminded her too much that I used to be a sailor, I s'pose.

And that inventor knew she didn't like it, and so he rubbed it in every time I made a slip.