‘You could put a ship about, I suppose.’
‘Well, I might do that,’ I replied; ‘but there would be a chance of my getting her into irons, though.’
‘You’d be able to know when to shorten sail anyway, and what orders to give. You told me ye could take a star?’
‘Did I?’ I exclaimed.
‘Certainly you did, sir,’ he cried.
‘I do not recollect,’ said Miss Temple.
‘Ha!’ he exclaimed, with another of his mirthless grins, ‘the lady’s afraid of your knowing too much, sir. I don’t mean no offence, but there’s a forecastle saying that all the male monkeys ’ud talk if it wasn’t for their sweethearts, who advise them to hold their jaw lest they should be put upon.’
Miss Temple’s face changed into stone, after one withering glance at the man, whose countenance remained distorted with a smile.
‘Some of Jack’s sayings are first class,’ he went on. ‘Yes, ye told me you could take a star. Can you find the latitude by double altitudes?’
‘A few trials would recall the trick, I daresay,’ I answered.