ahead or astern, than where she is now riding, though the article was no
heavier than a fresh handful of feathers for the captain's pillow. Now, if
you have any thing to gainsay the reason of this, why, I'm ready to hear
it as a reasonable man, and one who has not forgotten his manners in
learning his philosophy."

"S'pose a wind come out fresh here, at nor-west," answered the other,
stretching his brawny arm towards the point of the compass he named, "and
a vessel want to get to sea in a hurry, how you t'ink he get her far
enough up to lay through the weather reach? Ha! you answer me dat; you
great scholar, misser Dick, but you never see ship go in wind's teeth, or
hear a monkey talk."

"The black is right!" exclaimed the youth, who, it would seem, had
overheard the dispute, while he appeared otherwise engaged; "the slaver
has left his vessel in the outer harbour, knowing that the wind holds so
much to the westward at this season of the year; and then you see he
keeps his light spars aloft, although it is plain enough, by the manner in
which his sails are furled, that he is strong-handed Can you make out,
boys, whether he has an anchor under foot, or is he merely riding by a
single cable?"

"The man must be a driveller, to lie in such a tides-way, without dropping
his stream, or at least a kedge, to steady the ship," returned the white,
with out appearing to think any thing more than the received practice of
seamen necessary to decide the point. "That he is no great judge of an
anchorage, I am ready to allow; but no man, who can keep things so snug
aloft, would think of fastening his ship, for any length of time, by a
single cable, to sheer starboard and port, like that kicking colt, tied to
the tree by a long halter, that we fell in with, in our passage over land