The anchor had before been hove short, and in a few moments the Young America, also in the warm embrace of a powerful steam-tug, moved down the river.
"All hands in the rigging!" shouted the first lieutenant, as the ship approached the Victoria and Albert.
The students ran up the shrouds like monkeys, and stationed themselves in the rigging.
"Three cheers for the Queen of England," called Goodwin; and they were given with becoming zeal.
A lady dressed in black, who was walking the promenade deck, near the dining saloon, bowed and waved her handkerchief. That lady was Queen Victoria. The Josephine at this moment came up on the other side, and delivered her round of cheers. Mr. Fluxion carried the intelligence on board that the queen had returned, and that the yacht would sail that evening; and all hands were on the lookout for her majesty. She bowed and waved her handkerchief to the Josephines, as she had to the students in the ship.
She was not very distinctly seen by the curious students in either vessel, and appeared like a stout "dumpy" little woman, in no respect different from any other lady. In spite of this fact, it was voted to be a big thing to have seen the Queen of England; and the king of the little realm of Belgium sank into insignificance, compared with her.
"She don't look like a queen," said Captain Haven to Mr. Mapps, who stood next to him.
"Did you expect to see her with her crown and coronation robes on, and with the sceptre in her hand?" laughed the professor.
"Not exactly; but I was not prepared to see a lady so much like any well-dressed woman we meet in the street."
"Let me see," said Mr. Mapps, glancing at the shore, intent upon renewing his favorite topic, "Fort St. Laurent must have been here; and this is where Van Speyk went down, or rather went up."