“He might jump overboard in his sleep, you know, dreamin’ like,” Andy McDonald remarked as he screened Nippy in.
As soon as Nippy was settled, Andy gave a shrill whistle which brought Chink, the rat terrier mascot of the boat, tearing to make Lemmy’s acquaintance.
“He’s got a collar with spikes on it,” Lemmy cried excitedly. “And a piece of his ear’s nipped off!”
“He gets scarred up, Chink does, but he never gets licked. Don’t let him get in a row with Nippy.”
How could Lemmy know that during these enchanted moments with Andy McDonald the Cap’n was talking with Miss Border about “parental history” and “hereditary instincts” and all the rest of the ’Dopters’ secrets?
It was at table that Lemmy saw the Cap’n again—the head of a feast befitting a Majishun such as he. Lemmy tried hard not to gobble, but the chicken was oh, so tender, and he had never before tasted what the Cap’n called “kumquats.” There was so much he couldn’t possibly eat it all. He finally gave up trying when the Cap’n assured him that there would be more tomorrow.
Up on the bridge again Lemmy watched the busy engine haul in the cables which held the freighter to the dock. A capable little tug, which the Cap’n called familiarly “Sultana,” came to help them head the boat into the channel.
“We’re off,” cried the Cap’n as the Sultana chug-chugged away, while with slow majesty the Northern Star made its way out into the lake.
“Look behind at the Diamond Necklace,” Andy called to him. Turning to look back, Lemmy saw the Allouez ore docks glittering, palpitating, in the fast gathering purple of the night. Upon the hill electric signs blazed out fantastically; here a red sun rising over a green hill, and farther on a multicolored fan opening and closing with a bewildering flash; then came a comical, twinkling bucket of shiny paint which would bubble over. Past the signs came rows and rows of lights set regularly like soldiers.
The Northern Star was moving faster now, passing between the big piers of the canal under the Aërial Bridge past the lighthouse with revolving signals.