"Well, pull easy," said the lieutenant; "you see, it won't do to scare them, Captain Ogilvy, and they'll think we're a pleasure party when they see a woman in the boat."
Ruby thought they would not be far wrong in supposing them a pleasure party. He objected, mentally, however, to Minnie being styled a "woman"—not that he would have had her called a man, but he thought that girl would have been more suitable—angel, perhaps, the most appropriate term of all.
"Come, captain, I think I will join you in a pipe," said the lieutenant, pulling out a tin case, in which he kept the blackest of little cutty pipes. "In days of old our ancestors loved to fight—now we degenerate souls love to smoke the pipe of peace."
"I did not know that your ancestors were enemies," said Minnie to the captain.
"Enemies, lass! ay, that they were. What! have ye never heard tell o' the great fight between the Ogilvys and Lindsays?"
"Never," said Minnie.
"Then, my girl, your education has been neglected, but I'll do what I can to remedy that defect."
Here the captain rekindled his pipe (which was in the habit of going out, and requiring to be relighted), and, clearing his throat with the emphasis of one who is about to communicate something of importance, held forth as follows.