He was dressed in a very fine suit of clothes, his shirt-front white, and his waxed mustache curled fiercely. His glinting eyes had a somewhat humorous expression, I thought, and he appeared very well pleased with himself.
Trunnell came to the rail and leaned over. "Good luck to ye," he cried.
"We'll expect ye back to dinner."
"Keep an eye on my room, and don't let the steward disturb the charts on my trunk until I come back. The last sight is worked out on the one lying on the table," replied Jackwell.
Then the oars fell across, and we shot out over the smooth ocean to the brig that rolled lazily half a mile distant.
The skipper appeared in a most humorous mood, which increased as did the distance between the ships.
He talked to Mrs. Sackett incessantly and actually had that lady laughing happily at his remarks. Miss Sackett did not rise to his humor, however, and her mother noticed it.
"Jennie, dear, why don't you laugh? Captain Thompson is so funny," she said.
"I will when he gets off a good joke, mother."
"Get off a good joke?" echoed the skipper. "Well, that's what I call hard. A good joke? Why, my dear child, I've gotten off the joke of my life to-day. Sink me, if I ain't played the best joke of the year, and on Trunnell too, at that. A good joke? ha, ha, hah!" and he threw his head back and laughed so loud and long that his mirth was infectious, and I even found myself smiling at him.
"Tell us what it is," said Miss Jennie.