We shaped to the Cape of Good Hope with great, southern jumps. We were striking far south for the strong, steady winds.
"There was a damned English ship, the Lord Summerville, that left New York about the same time we did ... she's a sky-sailer ... we mustn't let her beat us into Sydney."
"Why not, Captain?"
"An Englishman beat a German!" the captain spat, "fui! We're going to beat England yet at everything ... already we're taking their world-trade away from them ... and some day we'll beat them at sea and on land, both."
"In a war, sir?"
"Yes, in a war ... in a great, big war! It will have to come to that, Johann, my boy."
The cook's opinion on the same subject was illuminating.