"
"Ay, ay," answered the Scotch master, waving his hand. "The chiel
will be visiting you prasently. He's below, stowing away his dunnage;
and will be thanking you for a passage home, I'm thinking."
As these words were uttered, Marble appeared on deck, and waved his
hat, again, in recognition. This was enough; as we understood each
other, the two ships took sufficient room, and hove-to. We lowered our
boat, and Talcott went alongside of the Dundee, in quest of our old
shipmate. Newspapers and news were exchanged; and, in twenty minutes,
I had the extreme gratification of grasping Marble once more by the
hand.
My old friend was too much affected to speak, for some little time. He
shook hands with everybody, and seemed as much astonished as he was
delighted at finding so many of us together again; but not a syllable
did he utter for several minutes. I had his chest passed into the
cabin, and then went and took my seat alongside of him on the
hen-coops, intending to hear his story, as soon as he was disposed to
give it. But, it was no easy matter to get out of ear-shot of my
passengers. During the gale, they had been tongue-tied, and I had a
little peace; but, no sooner did the wind and sea go down, than they
broke out in the old spot, and began to do Boston, in the way they had
commenced.
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