The captain laughed and answered, “Oh, I see that the Irishman is not the only person aboard the Queen that’s nervous. You’ve got a touch of that complaint yourself, my lad.”
“It’s not a question of nerves,” said Ethan quietly. “But it’s been my experience that one vessel does not hang in the wake of another for any good purpose.”
“Your experience,” cried the skipper good humoredly; “listen to that, Mr. Jarvis!”
The mate grinned and said:
“Sounds kind of curious to hear a boy talk like that to two old salts, don’t it?”
“What experience have you had on blue water, and with mysterious craft, sonny?” asked the Queen’s skipper, humorously.
“Enough to teach me not to do what you have done,” answered the boy. “Coasting is easy, steady going work enough here in these northern waters when there is no Englishman about; but I’ve sailed in ships that have cleared the decks for action at the beginning of a voyage, and kept them cleared except for the bodies of half breed pirates who boarded them.”
The skipper looked at the mate; in the light of the compass lantern it was to be seen that that worthy had lost his grin.
“Where was that, youngster?” asked he.
“In the Gulf and West Indian waters,” said Ethan. “My grandfather and my father composed the firm of Clarette & Co.”