‘Why, Captain Braine,’ I exclaimed, ‘though my time at sea was brief, I am no longshoreman. Such a question as yours means merely the first letter in the marine alphabet.’
‘I ain’t so sure of that,’ said he, with his fixed regard.
‘I admit,’ continued I, ‘that I have never been shipmate with a fore-and-aft rigged mizzenmast; but if it’s merely a question of shortening sail, why, what else under the moon is to be done than to take in your studdingsails and clew up your royals and haul down your flying jib, and then let go your foretopgallant halliards, and haul down your light staysails’—and so I rambled on, winding up with, ‘I am leaving your after-canvas untouched, because it is already in, you see; whilst as to your jibs and staysails, I assume of course that they are set.’
He lifted his hand. ‘Thank’ee,’ said he; ‘I shan’t be long;’ and down he went.
‘You will surely believe now that he is mad!’ said Miss Temple with anxiety, but softly, for the fellow at the wheel stood near, and I had seen a grin crumple up his features to the skipper’s question.
‘He may want me to serve him as a mate,’ said I, laughing.
‘You will do nothing of the kind, I hope,’ she exclaimed, as we fell to pacing the deck afresh.
‘I will do anything that may help me to see you safe,’ said I.
‘But cannot you perceive, Mr. Dugdale, that if he believes you fit to serve him as a mate, as you call it, he may prevent you from leaving his ship by declining to communicate with passing vessels?’
‘That is true,’ said I.