There was a look of indulgent admiration
in the mate's eye, and she thought it necessary to check it.
"All right," said the other, "plenty of time for that; the river's a
little bit thick just now."
"What do you mean?" inquired the girl hastily.
"Some o' these things are not so careful as they might be," said the
mate, noting the ominous sparkle of her eye, "an' they might scrape the
paint off."
"Look here, my lad," said the new skipper grimly, "if you think you can
steer better than me, you'd better keep it to yourself, that's all. Now
suppose you see about your bedding, as I said."
The mate went, albeit he was rather surprised at himself for doing so,
and hid his annoyance and confusion beneath the mattress which he
brought up on his head. His job completed, he came aft again, and,
sitting on the hatches, lit his pipe.
"This is just the weather for a pleasant cruise," he said amiably, after
a few whiffs. "You've chose a nice time for it."
"I don't mind the weather," said the girl, who fancied that there was a
little latent sarcasm somewhere. "I think you'd better wash the decks
now."
"Washed 'em last night," said the mate, without moving.
"Ah, after dark, perhaps," said the girl. "Well, I think I'll have them
done again.
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