"But I want her to go with me. The fact of it is, Don John, I rather like Nellie, and I want to be better acquainted with her."
"If you do, you must paddle your own canoe," replied Donald, indignantly, as he ascended the steps, and joined the other two judges on deck.
"We are waiting for you, Don John," said Sam Rodman, who was one of them.
"It isn't ten yet, and I have the papers all ready. Who is to be time-keeper?" asked the chairman.
"I have a watch with a second hand, and I will take that office," said Frank Norwood, who was the third.
Most of the yachts were already in line, and the captain of the fleet, in the tender of his yacht, was arranging them, the largest to windward. The first gun had been fired at half past nine which was the signal to get into line, and at the next, the yachts were to get under way. All sail except the jib was set, and at the signal each craft was to slip her cable, hoist her jib, if she had one, and get under way, as quickly as possible. The "rode" was simply to be cast off, for the end of it was made fast to the tender, which was used as a buoy for the anchor.
"Are they all ready?" asked Donald, as the time drew near.
"All but the Juno. Laud has picked up two live weights, and wants another man," replied Sam Rodman.
"We won't wait for him."
But Laud got into line in season. One of the seamen of the Penobscot stood at the lock-string of the gun forward, ready to fire when the chairman of the judges gave the word.