"I dare say the crew on that forecastle are laughing," she exclaimed. "Sailors are too well fed to laugh easily," replied Hardy. "Oily men, fat men, rich men, seldom laugh." All between the two speeding vessels was the rush of the white surge, and the ships seemed to salute each other like acquaintances as they bowed in stately rolls and sang the song of the shrouds one to the other, for it is all singing at sea--singing or singing out. Suddenly when the barque had drawn on to the weather-bow of the _York_ she was luffed up into the wind, and the weather-half of her loftier canvas was aback. "They mean to visit us," said Hardy. "Not to stay, I hope," said Julia, anxiously. In a few moments some figures broke from the barque's forecastle crowd and ran aft, and a white boat of a whaling pattern, sharpened stem and stern, sank from its davits with six men in her, and the man who had given the telescope to the figure on the rail steered the boat. Hardy put his helm down and shook the wind out of his small canvas, and presently the boat was hooked on alongside, and an American sailor--a chief mate--clambered over the rail on to the deck of the _York_. It is bad taste to imitate accents, or oddities of phrase, or nasal deliverances. This Yankee mate then shall speak as our first cousin does. "Do you mean to say," said he, touching his cap as he approached Hardy and Julia, "that you and this lady"--he bowed to her--"are your ship's company?" "No," answered Hardy. "We have that dog: he is worth ten foreigners, and we have a watch-tackle and a winch." "And you are carrying this ship to London alone?" "Ay." The Yankee mate looked a little stupefied, glanced along the deck, then up at the Red Ensign, then at the girl who stood beneath it. "Where are you from?" he asked. "See here," said Hardy; "I intend to spin my own yarn when I get ashore, and I do not mean that it shall either be diminished or exaggerated by report. This lady and I propose to carry this ship home alone, and that flag flies in vain if we fail." "Well, I am surprised," said the mate of the barque. "It must be very uncomfortable. Your outer jib is slatting, and your staysails want stowing. Can we help you?" "I am very much obliged," replied Hardy, "but before you call your men aboard this lady will kindly bring from the cabin a bottle of grog and glasses, that we may drink to the good voyage of the _Columbia_ and to the increasing greatness of your magnificent country." "I am willing," answered the mate, and as Julia disappeared he exclaimed, "Is she your wife, sir?" "No; she is my sweetheart; she is the daughter of a retired commander in our Royal Navy, and if God suffers us to reach home she will be my wife." "She is a very fine young woman," said the mate. "She has a splendid spirit," answered Hardy, "and she is a very fine young woman as you say."