it to an end, took the pipe from his mouth, saying, with a look
of infinite sagacity and deliberation, "I do suppose he is of the
Cornish Trunnions. What sort of a woman is his spouse?" "Spouse!"
cried the other; "odds-heart! I don't think he would marry the
queen of Sheba. Lack-a-day! sir, he won't suffer his own maids to
be in the garrison, but turns them into an out-house every night
before the watch is set. Bless your honour's soul, he is, as it
were, a very oddish kind of a gentleman. Your worship would have
seen him before now; for, when he is well, he and my good master
Hatchway come hither every evening, and drink a couple of cans of
rumbo a piece; but he has been confined to his house this fortnight
by a plaguy fit of the gout, which, I'll assure your worship, is
a good penny out of my pocket."

At that instant, Mr. Pickle's ears were saluted with such a strange
noise, as even discomposed the muscles of his face, which gave
immediate indications of alarm. This composition of notes at first
resembled the crying of quails, and croaking of bull-dogs; but
as it approached nearer, he could distinguish articulate sounds
pronounced with great violence, in such a cadence as one would
expect to hear from a human creature scolding through the organs
of an ass; it was neither speaking nor braying, but a surprising
mixture of both, employed in the utterance of terms absolutely
unintelligible to our wondering merchant, who had just opened
his mouth to express his curiosity, when the starting up at the
well-known sound, cried, "Odd's niggers! there is the commodore
with his company, as sure as I live," and with his apron began to
wipe the dust off an elbow-chair placed at one side of the fire, and
kept sacred for the ease and convenience of this infirm commander.
While he vas thus occupied, a voice, still more uncouth than