The face of the youth flushed at this, and he asked sternly:
“Is this a yacht on a pleasure cruise, my man?”
“Now, see here, my boy, I hain’t your man. I’m my old woman’s man, and nobody else has a claim on me, for I am o’ age.”
“Answer my question, sir.”
“Yes, it are a yacht on a cruise, but leetle pleasure I’m thinking it will bring her capting by coming into this port.”
“I wish the name of your vessel, her owner, and why she is here.”
“I suppose ef I don’t tell yer, you’ll tarn yer big guns on the craft; but as I said, I am only the mate, and the captain will be on deck in a minute, for he is down below changing his clothes, having just thrown a young admiral in the drink, and then had to jump in and pull him out to keep him from drowning, so you better be uncommonly polite to him, as the water are handy and real wet, too.”
The midshipman felt that he was being made fun of.
He saw the smiles on the lee side of the faces of his boat’s crew, and he knew that they saw that he was getting worsted.
His orders were simply to board the schooner and ascertain her name and business in the anchorage she had chosen.