"Yes, sir; she is open to ladies and gentlemen to-day," replied the man.
The commander ascended the steps to the bulwarks, where the seaman was evidently doing duty as a sentinel, though he was not armed.
"What steamer is this?" asked the visitor; for he had not yet seen the name of the steamer.
"The Blanche, sir," replied the man very respectfully; for the commander's uniform had made its proper impression.
"The Blanche!" exclaimed the captain of the Guardian-Mother, starting back as though a red-hot shot had struck him.
"Captain Ringgold, I am delighted to see you." Page [337].
It was very remarkable that the steamer should have that name; but he preserved his dignity, and concluded that the name had been given for some member of the owner's family; and he saw a lady seated near the rudder-head, who might be the owner of the name. He looked about the deck,—what of it could be seen,—though most of it was covered by the house, extended nearly from stem to stern, as on the Guardian-Mother. Everything was as neat and trim as though she had been a man-of-war. He could see two twelve-pounders on the side where he was; and he concluded there were two more on the other side.
But if this craft was to chase and annoy his party, she was not well enough armed to be a match for his own ship; and with the feeling he had stirred up in his mind, he congratulated himself on the superiority of the ship he commanded. The seaman informed him that he was at liberty to look over the vessel, for it was believed to be the finest her celebrated builders had ever completed.