“I have not the least notion of it, sir.”
“Rosy, you amaze me!” exclaimed the aunt—“and you a ship-master’s niece, and a ship-master’s daughter! A catch is a trick that sailors have, when they quiz landsmen.”
“Yes, Madam Budd, yes; we have them sort of catches, too, but I now mean the vessel with a peculiar rig, which we call a ketch, you know.”
“Is it the full-jigger, or the half-jigger sort, that you mean?”
Spike could hardly stand this, and he had to hail the top-gallant-yard again, in order to keep the command of his muscles, for he saw by the pretty frown that was gathering on the brow of Rose, that she was regarding the matter a little seriously. Luckily, the answer of the man on the yard diverted the mind of the widow from the subject, and prevented the necessity of any reply.
“There’s a light, of course sir, on Montauk, is there not, Capt. Spike?” demanded the seaman who was aloft.
“To be sure there is—every head-land, here-abouts, has its light; and some have two.”
“Ay, ay, sir—it’s that which puzzles me; I think I see one light-house, and I’m not certain but I see two.”
“If there is any thing like a second, it must be a sail. Montauk has but one light.”
Mulford sprang into the fore-rigging, and in a minute was on the yard. He soon came down and reported the light-house in sight, with the afternoon’s sun shining on it, but no sail near.