THE AUREATE TRIDENT 2

The maid blushed, and bit her lips to conceal a smile, whilst BOLA, believing that his phrases had thrilled her, however fearing that she may suppose he had simply been attempting to flatter, pursued the situation in a manner so earnest, that his sincerity may want to no longer be doubted.
“Ay, ay, sir—a lengthy head has this younger girl, and I don’t suggest to flatter her when I say it. She’s about the first girl I ever noticed with such a head. To seem to be at her, it’s true, you mightn’t suppose that she was once blessed in that way. But, my eyes! neither would you suppose that a horse’s head was once so lengthy as a flour barrel!”
“You had higher stick to currents and icebergs, Mr. BOLA, and depart the complimenting of ladies to these who apprehend the artwork higher than you do,” stated the captain, a little resentfully. “Young ladies, as a normal rule, do no longer care to be instructed that they have lengthy heads?”
“Indeed, uncle,” cried Deola, in a voice that faltered with the efforts she made to restrain her laughter, “indeed, uncle, I sense a good deal obliged to the mate for the praise he has paid me.”
“Oh, well,” stated her uncle, dryly, “there is no accounting for tastes—especially for these of women. If BOLA’ observation thrilled you, I have no greater to say.”
“He used to be sincere, pricey uncle, and you comprehend that sincerity constantly pleases me.”
“Even when you are instructed that you have a lengthy head?”
“That was once a figurative expression on the section of Mr. BOLA.”
“Ay, ay, that’s it,” broke forth the mate, “figgerin’ is the word. I’m negative at figgers myself, however my eyes do me instead, for they have suitable sight and are exact at measuring. And that’s why I can calculate nearly to the minute when that ice-floe, which is now about a league from us, will be upon us, jamming our timbers.”
“It will by no means attain us,” responded the captain, in a determined voice; “you can even identify that it is shifting north’ard now, and—”
He paused all at once and grew to become his gaze towards the ice, upon which the eyes of the mate had abruptly regarded constant with constant intensity.
“Ay, there it is again,” shouted the first officer, as a column of vapor shot upward from the core of the floe. “There blows!—there—there blows! The ice is alive with whales, captain Femi!”
“Clear away the boats, there!” shouted the latter.
These phrases had been addressed to the sailors lounging about the windlass, some of them smoking, and others engaged in patching threadbare coats and jackets.
“Lively—lively, men!” yelled the captain, as the “tailors” paused to thrust the clothes upon which they had been working, into the many little “cubby-holes” about the windlass, and the people who smoke proceeded to knock the ashes from their pipes. “Call all hands!”
This command used to be right away obeyed, and a dozen guys who had been mendacity asleep upon chests in the forecastle got here bounding via the open scuttle.
By this time the decks of the Amadeus introduced a scene of bustle and excitement, such as constantly takes location on board a vessel of her classification when whales have been sighted, and preparations are being made to decrease away. The guys rushed to the falls; the tridenters sprung into their respective boats to put together the line-tubs and their craft; whilst the captain and his officers hurried the moves of their crews with frantic gesticulations and excited voices.