320 THE WORLD OF ICE.

and a jolly one to boot, for O’Riley was there, and
Peter Grim, and Amos Parr, and David Mizzle, and
Mivins—in short, the entire crew of the lost Dolphin—
captain, mates, surgeon, and all. Fred and his father
were also there, and old Mr. Singleton, and a number
of other friends, so that all the rooms in the house
had to be thrown open, and even then Mrs. Buzzby
had barely room to move. It was on this occasion
that Buzzby related to his shipmates how Mrs. Ellice
had escaped from drowning on the night they were
attacked by pirates on board the West Indiaman.
He took occasion to relate the circumstances just before
the “ people from the house” arrived, and as the reader
may perhaps prefer Buzzby’s account to ours, we give
it as it was delivered.

“You see, it happened this way,” began Buzzby.

“Hand us a coal, Buzzby, to light my pipe, before
ye begin,” said Peter Grim.

“Ah! then, howld yer tongue, Blunderbore,’ cried
O’Riley, handing the glowing coal demanded, with as
much nonchalance as if his fingers were made of
cast-iron.

“Well, ye see,” resumed Buzzby, “when poor Mrs.
Ellice wos pitched overboard, as I seed her with my

2

own two eyes

 

2

“Stop, Buzzby,
the time ?”

said Mivins; “’ow was ’er ’ead at

“Shut up, Mivins,” eried several of the men; “go
on, Buzzby.”
“Well, I think her ’euwd wos sow-west, if it warn’t