"A walrus! no, I should think not," he answered, in an indignant tone. "My lad, that's King Neptune's trumpeter, come to give notice that the old boy's coming aboard us directly. I've heard him scores of times; so I'm not likely to be wrong." The answer I gave my shipmate was not very polite. One never likes to be quizzed; and I, of course, thought he was quizzing me. "You'll see, lad," he answered, giving me no gentle tap on the head, in return for my remark. "I'm not one to impose on a bright green youth like you." Again the bellow was heard. "That's not a bit like the sound of a trumpet," I remarked. "Not like your shore-going trumpets, maybe," said old David, with a grin. "But don't you know, youngster, the water gets into these trumpets, and makes them sound different?" A third bellow was followed by a loud hail, in a gruff, voice, "What ship is that, ahoy?" Old David ran forward, and answered, "_The Shetland Maid_, Captain Rendall, of Hull." "Heave to, while I come aboard, then; for you've got some green hands among you, I'm pretty sure, by the way your gaff-topsail stands." "Ay, ay, your majesty. Down with your helm--back the main-topsail," sung out old David, with as much authority as if he was captain of the ship. His orders were not obeyed; for before they were so, the gruff voice sung out, "Hold fast!" and a very curious group made their appearance over the bows, and stepped down on deck. I was not left long in doubt as to whether or not there was anything supernatural about them. "There," exclaimed David, pointing with great satisfaction at them, "that big one, with the thing on his head which looks for all the world like a tin kettle, is King Neptune, and the thing is his helmet. T'other, with the crown and the necklace of spikes under her chin, is Mrs Neptune, his lawful wife; and the little chap with the big razor and shaving-dish is his wally-de-sham and trumpeter extraordinary. He's plenty more people belonging to him, but they haven't come on board this time." Neptune's costume was certainly not what my father's school-books had taught me to expect his majesty to wear, and I had always supposed his wife to be Amphitrite; but I concluded that in those cold regions he found it convenient to alter his dress, while it might be expected the seamen should make some slight mistake about names.