III

captain was bearish, but I met a bear once in Alaska that looked pleasanter. At least, the bear seemed pleased to meet me, but this grizzly old man! Well, I suppose my hail disturbed his siesta, and my little sloop passing his great ship had somewhat the effect on him that a red rag has upon a bull. I had the advantage over heavy ships, by long odds, in the light winds of this and the two previous days. The wind was light; his ship was heavy and foul, making poor headway, while the Spray , with a great mainsail bellying even to light winds, was just skipping along as nimbly as one could wish. “How long has it been calm about here?” roared the captain of the Java , as I came within hail of him. “Dunno, cap’n,” I shouted back as loud as I could bawl. “I haven’t been here long.” At this the mate on the forecastle wore a broad grin. “I left Cape Sable fourteen days ago,” I added. (I was now well across toward the Azores.) “Mate,” he roared to his chief officer⁠—“mate, come here and listen to the Yankee’s yarn. Haul down the flag, mate, haul down the flag!” In the best of humor, after all,