Here Ran had long talks with his friends, and learned much more of the past history of Dandy and Longman than he had ever known before.
Here, Judy, wrapped from head to heel in her heavy fur cloak, would often join them, for the weather continued fine. “Wonderful!—just wonderful!” was the verdict of all the ship’s passengers; the oldest “salt” declaring that never, at this season of the year, had he known such weather in crossing the Atlantic.
Not one of our party suffered from seasickness. The only effect the voyage seemed to have upon them was an increase of health, vigor and appetite.
Their ship was rather a slow one, that was all.
It was a splendid winter morning about the seventh day out. The sky, of a clear, deep blue, without a single cloud, and on fire with a sun too dazzling to be seen, overhung a sea whose waves were like molten sapphires. The ship, with all her snowy sails spread and filled, was flying on before a fresh, fair wind.
On the forward deck, grouped together, were Ran, Judy, Mike, Dandy and Longman. The hunter had been telling his story for the first time to Ran and Judy.
“And so you are from Chuxton! Is not that a strange coincidence? Haymore Hall and hamlet is in the neighborhood of Chuxton, I think,” said Ran.
“About ten miles off, sir. Chuxton is the nearest market town and railway station to Haymore,” replied Longman.
“Well, my dear fellow, as you say you would never have left your native country if you could have obtained employment to suit you——” Ran said in a modest and hesitating way.
“Among guns and game,” Longman interjected with a laugh.