'
"'You wish me to do so?'
"'Yes, certainly,'
"'Is it possible?'
"'Then you refuse to take me into custody, Mr. Commissary?' said I.
"'Yes, positively,' said he; 'we take prisoners, but we do not accept
them when offered.'
"'Then you will not allow me to join my captain in his adversity?'
"'Your captain is as great a fool as yourself,' said he; 'he need not
have gone to prison unless he liked.'
"'That was a matter of taste on his part, Mr. Commissary, but is a
matter of duty on mine,'"
"This bar is nearly through," whispered the missionary.
"There is no time to be lost," said the captain; "the warder will be
round in a quarter of an hour."
"Well," continued Willis, "the commissary began to get angry, he rose
up, and was about to leave the room, when I placed myself resolutely
before him.
"'Sir,' said I, 'one word more--you know the French laws; be good
enough to tell me what crime will most surely and most promptly send
me to prison.'
"'Oh, there are plenty of them,' said he, laughing.
"'Well, commissary,' says I, 'suppose I knock you down here on the
spot, will that do?"
"Was that not going a little too far, Willis?"
"What could I do? The ship was all ready, everybody on board but
yourselves, circumstances were pressing, and you know I would have
floored him as gently as possible.
Pages:
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458