f things that were not ready until the last minute.
And then there was the new foretopmast--promised at nine o'clock it
was--not slung and stayed up until after ten. And then our second
seine, which finally we had to leave for Wesley Marrs to take next
morning. And there were the usual two or three men late. Clancy and
Andie Howe went up to have a farewell drink and were gone so long that
the skipper sent me after them. I found them both in the Anchorage,
where Clancy had met a man he hadn't seen for ten years--an old
dory-mate--thought he was lost five years before in the West Indies.
"But here he is, fine and handsome. Another little touch all around
and a cigar for Joe, and we're off for the Southern cruise."

We left then and started for the dock, with Clancy full of poetry.
There happened to be a young woman looking out of a window on the way
down. Clancy did not know her, nor she him, so far as I knew, but
something about him seemed to take her eye. She leaned far out and
waved her handkerchief at him. That was enough. Clancy broke out--

"The wind blows warm and the wind blows fair,
Oh, the wind blows westerly--
Our jibs are up and our anchor's in,
For the Duncan's going to sea.
And will you wait for me, sweetheart?
Oh, will you wait for me?
And will you be my love again
When I come back from sea?

"Oh, sway away and start her sheets
And point her easterly--
It's tackle-pennant, boom her out
And turn the Duncan free.
You'll see some sailing now, my boys,
We're off for the Southern cruise--
They'll try to hold the Johnnie D,
But they'll find it of no use."

I didn't wait any longer than that for Clancy, but ran ahead to the
Duncan. I found her with jibs up and paying off. I was in time to get
aboard without trouble, but Clancy and Howe coming later had to make a
pier-head jump of it. Clancy, who could leap like a hound--drunk or
sober--made it all right with his feet on the end of the bowsprit and
his fingers on the balloon stay when he landed, but Howe fell short,
and we had the liveliest kind of a time gaffing him in over the bow,
he not being able to swim. They must have heard us yelling clear to
Eastern Point, I guess. Andie didn't mind. "I must be with a lot of
dogs--have to jump overboard to get aboard." He spat out what water he
had to, and started right in to winch up the mainsail with the gang.
He had on a brand-new