Spiled
ain't the word: disgraced it is."
"Degraded," said Plum, in a deep voice.
"Ay, and degraded," cried old Joe, with a surly, dangerous nod. "That
there little tailor has degraded the honour of our flag. What's to be
done to him?"
After a pause, Plum said: "Bring him up and sit in examination on him.
Try him fairly, and convict him."
They opened the hatch and pulled little Sloper off the Thames ballast
into daylight. He was exceedingly white, and trembled violently, and
cut, indeed, a very pitiful figure as he stood on the quarter-deck of
the _Tom Bowling_, surveyed by her owner and crew. He was a short man
and spare, and Tom Tuck grinned as he looked at him.
"I suppose you're aweer," said old Joe, "that in shooting at my flag
and wounding her you've degraded the honour of it? Are you aweer of
that?"
"You came in my way; I was shooting for my hentertainment," answered
Mr. Sloper.
"You're a retired tailor, ain't ye?" said Joe.
Sloper sulkily answered "Yes."
"Have ye any acquaintance with the laws which are made and purwided
for British seamen when it happens that their flag's degraded by the
haction of a retired tailor?" said old Joe.
Mr.
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