Thursday morning brought the second day of a pause in the buying of silver has Groober came flying in with his message from the Captain to “Bide a whiles…”. Galligan read the message with a sigh as he sat in the pub in had a breakfast of eggs and hardtack. Sitting and waiting was the hardest thing one could do on shore leave.
Seaman Ickied, Ytal, Axwell and Azzuar all came down the steps together ready for another day…
“What's th' wuid commander?" Ickied asked as he pulled up a chair with the others and sat down.
“Th' Keptin says tae bide unless anythin' changes in th' efternuin." Galligan said is he took a sip of coffee.
“Again?” said Ytal as she slumped back in her chair.
“Ahh’m afraid sae. It seems th' buy cycle is weakenin' by th' day..." Galligan confirmed, “But that's ship's buyin', it doesnae mean ye cannae buy...”
“Weel, th' Keptin is usually reit. Ahh'll nae buy unless th' price falls thes efternuin." Ytal claimed.
“Ur meybe Ahh was reit oan mah hunch oan Tuesdays!” Axwellsilver said, scratching his head in thought, “Mebbe Ah shoods hae booght tois oonces ay when Ahh thooght ay it!"
“Ha! ha! Woold've an' shoold've, th' tois most common words in a silvers stacker's vocabulary!" Galligan said with a laugh.
“Weel, buyin' ur nae buyin', Ahh’m going oot tae roam th' toon squaur. Thaur micht be somethin' interestin' yit tae see's!" Ickied said as he got up to leave, “Ur ye mates going?”
“Whit?! An' miss breakfest?" Axwell said.
“We'll catch-up wi' ye in th' squaur." Ytal replied as she waved for the waitress.
“Fair enaw! Ahh'll brae Saia aloyn 'en! See's ye mates later." Ickied said as he put on his cap and left.
[Back on-board the Silverton…]
R.Me-up and tipper had just finished their morning watch duty on the waist deck when they went down to the galley for coffee and a plain. There they ran into Boy Oezoe sitting alone at one end of the eating area.
“What's thes? Naebody tae eat wi'?!" R. called out as Oezoe raised his head and smiled.
“Join me if ye likes..." he replied.
Affter getting their plain and cup of hot brew from Peg, the two walked over and sat down with Oezoe.
“Sae hoo come ye was floatin' half-deid, oan a raft aw aloyn?" Tipper asked as he bit into the hot, fresh plain.
“It's kin' ay a lang story..."
“Wee've got time...” R. Me-up said as she sipped her coffee.
“Weel, Ahh was bush-whacked ye see, by tois men in th' toon ay Nooakchott. One's nam was Chissel an' th' other was Jeydon." Oezoe began.
“glory bee's! Chisel and Jeydon?!” Tipper exclaimed in surprise as he dropped his plain on the plate.
“Ye know’s ‘em?” Oezoe asked.
“Och Aye! Wee’s hud a run-in wi' them ower a year ago! Jeydon was th' Laird Governur ay th' Islain ay Annobon, in Guinea!" Tipper said excitedly.
“Thes is gettin' interestin'!” R.Me-up said as she leaned closer, “An' 'en?"
“Wells, Chissel was Laird Jeydon's reit hain cheil an' they was surly wi' th' Keptin abit supplies an' such!"
“Whit becam ay it?" R. asked with interest.
“Hawhaw! Weel,” Tipper began with a smile, always loving a good yarn, “Th' Keptin sent a raidin' ceilidh tae Annabon an' busted they's arses!"
“If aw that's true… 'en hoo did they gie frae Annabon Island tae Nooakchott?” Oezoe thought outloud.
“Ah dornt knows…” Tipper answered, scratching his head.
“But Oezoe, ye still huvnae tauld us wa they bush-whacked ye?!" R.Me-up asked curiously.
“Coz ay me chartwork! They’s wanted mah price predictions fur silvers fur th' next month, sae they coods rig th' silver booth!” he said indignantly.
“Ye ken hoo tae chart?!” Tipper said in surprise.
“Aye, good enough for Mauritania!”
“Blye me! Ah thooght only Keptin's kent 'att!" Tipper marveled.
“Sae ance they got whit they wanted frae ye, they decided tae sit ye adrift fur shark bait?” R.Me-up surmised.
“That's abit th' size ay it..."
“Slimy squids!” Tipper said as he shook his head.
Vocabulary fur lain lovers:
aff (off), aicht (eight), ainae (am not), aloyn (alone), alrecht (alright), an’ (and), anither (another), anyain (anyone), athwart (across), att’s (that’s), auld (old),
ay (of)
baith (both), bairn (child), barney (fight), bark (news), bide (wait), blaw (blow), bonnie (pretty), brae (brave), braw (fine),
caller (fresh), cannae (cannot), canty (happy), caur (care), causey (street), ceilidh (party), cheil (man), ceiliedh chib (knife), coopon (face), coorie (hurry), coz (because), cuddie (horse), cuik (cook)
dae (do), daein (doing), diz (does), doose (douse), dorn't (don't), dug (dog), duir (door),
Eh’d (I’d), enaw (enough)
fa (who), fest (fast), fin’ (find), fok (f-word), fower (four), fur (for)
gae (get), gang (go), gart (made), ginger (soda-pop), gob (mouth), groon (ground), grottie (dirty), guid (good)
haem (home), hain (hand), hasnae (hasn’t), hauld (hold), haur (here), heed (head), hiner (hope), hoo (how), hunder (hundred), huir uv a (very),
it (out)
keks (pants), ken (know), kent (knew)
lain (land), laird (lord), lave (leave), lest (last), lit (let),
main (must), mair (more), mebbe (maybe), micht (might), mingin’ (nasty), moggie (cat), mony (many), morn (morning),
nane (none), ned (steal), nehin (behind), noo (now),
och (oh), onie (any), ower (over),
pit (put), puir (poor), pure (really)
radge (rough), renk (rank), rin (run),
sae (so), Sairrr (Sir), Sassenach (English), cair (score), scart (scratch), scragg (infection), scran (food), shair (shore), six (scuttle), skitin’ (drinking), slainte (cheers), sooth (south), stain (stand), stoaner (hard,strong), staretcht (straight), strang (strong), swally (beer), swin (fool)
tae (to), tak (take), tatties (potatoes), th’ (the), thaur (there), thes (this),
tint (lost), twintie (twenty),
ur (or)
waesucks (sorrow, pity), wark (work), weecht (weight), whit (what), whaur (where), whieest (quiet), win' (wind), wi’ (with), wuid (word)
yak (eye)