The Water-Witch or, The Skimmer of the Seas

methinks he hath no drowning mark upon

mp

it for no man.' Still there were limits to his decision; for, while he put the boat in motion, especial care was taken that the circumstance should not subject a customer so important and constant as the Alderman, to any serious inconvenience. When he and his friend had embarked, the painters were thrown aboard, and the crew of the ferry-boat began to set their vessel, in earnest, towards the mouth of the creek.

s cane, that might have disturbed the harmony of one less bent on clamor. "A thousand windy trumpeters would be silence itself,

uth, pointed to the bubbles on the water which were already fl

more pleasant to go before one is ready, than to tarry when all business is done. Harkee, Master Schipper, you are not the only navigator in this bay, nor is your craft the s

e who depended solely on his eloquence for vindication. Removing his pipe, therefore, he rejoined on the Alderman, with that so

ay that can show the Milk-Maid her stern! The Mayor and council-men had better order the tide to turn when they plea

this effect, resumed his pipe, like a man who felt he deserve

all the garniture of a market-boat, to the place occupied by his niece, in the stern-sheets. "Good morrow to thee Alida dear; ear

out natural affection; touched his hat, in return for a low bow that he received from an aged white man-servant; in a clean but anc

d. From her mother, la belle Barbérie, as the maiden was often playfully termed, had received a skin, fair and spotless as the flower of France, and a bloom which rivalled the rich tints of an evening sky in her native land. Some of the em bon point, for which the sister of the Alderman had been a little remarkable, had descended also to her fairer daughter. In Alida, however, this peculiarity did not exceed the

e with the young man, who was generally considered as the one, among the numerous pretenders to her favor, who was most likely to succeed. Had other cause been wanting, this sight alone would have been sufficient to restore his good-humor: and

e susceptible, it is very apt to take the character of sentiment. Without stopping to analyze the cause, or the consequences, in the instance of the Patroon and la belle Barbérie, it will be sufficient to state, that in spite of all the efforts of the worthy burgher, who had navigated the sluggish creek too often to be the subject of any new emotions, his yout

t forced her into the tide's-way, and she might be said to put forth on her voyage. But while the black crew were trimming the sails, and making the other ne

into the lap of that comfortable-looking old gentleman. Come: bear a hand, my hummers!

lm a-lee, without however invading the lap of the Alderman, and the boat became stationary, at the distance of a few rods from the shore. While the new passenger was

ty were apportioned with the greatest accuracy. A small bullet head was set firmly on its broad foundation, and it was thickly covered with a mass of brown hair that was already a little grizzled. The face was that of a man of thirty, and it was worthy of the frame, being manly, bold, decided, and rather handsome; thoug

tight to his frame. Faultlessly clean linen appeared through the opening above, and a collar, of the same material, fell over the gay bandanna, which was thrown, with a single careless turn, around his throat. The latter was a manufacture then little known in Europe, and its use was almost entirely confined to seamen of the long voyage. One of its ends was suffered to blow about in the wind, but the

into an empty boat, and casting loose its fast, he sculled the light yawl towards the craft which was awaiting his arrival. There was, in truth, something in the reckless air, the decision, and the manly attitudes of so fine a specimen of a seaman, that might have attracted notice from those who were more practised in the world than the little crowd of admirers he left behind him. With an easy play of wrist and elbow, he caused the yawl to glide ahead like some indolent marine animal swimming through its element, and as he stood, firm as a

rig and modest sails of the periagua, while his upper lip curled with the knowing expression of a critic. Then kicking the fore-sheet clear of its elect, and suffering the sail to fill, he stepped from one butter-tub to another, making a stepping-stone of the lap of a countryman by the way, and alighted in the stern-sheets in the midst of the party of Alderman Van Beverout, with the agility and fearlessness of a feathered Mercury. With a cooln

Frenchman, while he pointed to the bag in which the latter wore his hair, "you'll be troubled to carry your broad p

nderstand the allusion, maintaining an

ome, after all, of too much top-hamper, is to cut away, and let it drift with the scud. May I make bold

mission," coldly returned Van Staats of Kinderh

oy; for it is running among shoals to be cruising there, whether as judge or suitor. One is never fairly snug and landlocked, while in company of a lawyer, and yet the devil hi

the Patroon, unwilling that Alida should not beli

as an admirer to this pretty young lady; and as to the other shore, I have run it down oftener than the Commodore, here, has ever set his pennant, blow high or blow low. A cruise like this

ng Patroon, anxious to steal a glance at la belle Barbérie, though his timidity caused him,

l could not be worked. The last cruise is the longest of all; and honest papers, with a clean bill of health, may help a man into port, when he is past keeping the open sea. How now,

Alderman; "there is no want of roi

e seen by the manner in which yon cruiser wears out her ground-tackle, instead of trying the open sea. May I spring every spar I carry, but I would have the boat out and give her an airing, before to-morrow, if the Queen would conde

, he rolled his glance over the persons of his companions, suffering it to r

she does nothing better; and that must be a great assistance, Schipper, in the navigation of one who ke

ded owner of the periagua, "there will be other business

ere a pity so active a gentleman should keep a fast, in a brisk tide's-way. And when his copper

e South Bay, that something was seen, yeste

rumor, for having come up with th

ck! and what dos

s well-ballasted old gentleman, who being a schoolmaster,

w attack, between his teeth, though apparently but half-disp

asonable to expect any Alderman to know the position of the Atlantic Ocean! And yet, gentlemen, on the honor of a man who has seen much salt water in his time, I do assure you

ely seen standing along the coast," returned the ferry-man, in the

wind's eye in search of adventures. I wonder, more of them are not kept at making almanacs! There was a mistake, concerning a thunder-storm, in the last I bought, and all for the

top of the seas, like a sailing water-fowl, and others think it is the sprite of a vessel that was rifled and burnt by Kidd, in the Indian Ocean, looking for its gol

the log every watch! Whereaway, or

, a little, there was a craft seen standing in-shore, running like a race-horse;

ur, activity! But what might have bee

twenty periaguas built into a single craft. It is well known, however, that a West-Indiaman went to sea that night, and, though it is now three

ind and water, like you, my friend, should never trust himself within reach of one of those devil's flyers I could tell you a tale of an affair in the calm

n had been excited by the discourse, and who read in the dark e

he quite coolly obliged a gaping countryman, in the centre of the boat, to yield his place, where he laid his own athletic form, at full length, folded his arms o