'Look here, you'll have to learn your manners, and we won't have a
strange girl like you stick yourself up so. We've come to tell you to
look out for yourself if you don't stop it.'

Nancy laughed again, and swung herself violently backwards and forwards.
'Yo ho! my lads, yo ho!' she sang. 'I'm on my ship, and I don't care for
boys a bit; they're all as stupid as they can be. Yo ho! We go! Yo ho,
lads, heave ho!'

Her elevated position certainly seemed to give her an advantage.

'We'll soon shake you off there!' shouted Sam, his wrath rising at her
calm indifference to the lords of creation.

'Come on, and try. I'm up the rigging, and a storm is beginning.
Hurray--come on!'

Sam and Carrots made a furious onslaught, and the gate was roughly
handled, but the more it shook and swung, the more derisive was Nancy's
laughter, as she clutched a firm hold with her small hands, and swayed to
and fro, calling out excitedly, 'Furl the main-sail! Stand by,
lads--steady--starboard hard! Port your helm! Rocks to leeward! Reef the
top-sail! Breakers ahead! Yo ho!'

Teddy looked on, awed by these nautical terms, which seemed to slip so
easily from her lips. To him they seemed wonderfully clever, but he was
not one to stand aside long in a scene of excitement, and with one of his
wild war whoops he rushed forward.