"You're not in earnest?"

"Course I am."

"Could you get to St. John from Grand Pre without sails?"

"Course I could."

"I don't see how you could manage to do it."

"Do it? Easy enough," said the captain. "You see I'd leave with
the ebb tide, and get out into the bay. Then I'd anchor an wait
till the next ebb, an so on. Bless your hearts, I've often done
it."

"But you couldn't get across the bay by drifting."

"Course I could. I'd work my way by short drifts over as far as
this, an then I'd gradually move along till I kine o' canted over
to the New Brunswick shore. It takes time to do it, course it
does; but what I mean to say is this--it CAN be done."

"Well, I wouldn't like to be on board while you were trying to do
it."

"Mebbe not. I ain't invitin you to do it, either. All I was sayin
is, it CAN be done. Sails air very good in their way, course they
air, an who's objectin to 'em? I'm only sayin that in this here
bay thar's things that's more important than sails, by a long
chalk--such as tides, an anchors in particular. Give me them thar,