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At that moment there was a sudden stoppage in front, and our coxswain growled "Starn all!" "What is it?" cried Mr Reardon, rising. There was a rattle of matchlocks from our right, and Mr Reardon fell sidewise on to me. "Hurt, sir?" I cried in agony. "Yes, badly no I don't know," he cried, struggling up with his hand to his head. "Here! why has that boat stopped?"
We were perfectly familiar with whaling-terms, and as the game was struck we construed Captain Sam's impressive "git aft" to mean "starn all," and even in that moment of stumbling and drenching felt a sense of disappointment in the suppression of a time-honored term. There was little time, however, for regrets.
I were just goin' up to him to say how glad I were to see 'im about again, when he steps over to the binnacle, takes a peep into the compass-bowl, and then, afore a man could say `Jack Robinson, up he jumps on to the starn gratin', from there to the taffrail an' overboard!
That stone may yet stand me in hand, for anything I know to the contrary, Miles." I congratulated my mate on this important discovery, and inquired the particulars of the affair with the old usurer; in what manner the money was received, and by what process the place had been so securely "moored, head and starn, in the family."
That the practice was early in vogue is shown by the records of the county courts. We read in the Northampton records for 1634 the following, "Upon due examination it is thought fitt by the board that said Joane Butler shall be drawen over the Rings Creeke at the starn of a boat or canoux."
His discourse on this occasion might be divided into the several following heads, all of which were very ingeniously embellished by the usual expletives and imagery: "He was not a beast to be branded like a horse, nor a slave to be treated like a Congo nigger; he saw no use in applying the marks to men, who were sufficiently distinguished from monkeys already; Sir John had a handle before his name, and if he liked it, he might carry his name behind his body, by way of counterpoise, but for his part, he wanted no outriggers of the sort, being satisfied with plain Noah Poke; he was a republican, and it was anti-republican for a man to carry about with him graven images; he thought it might be even flying in the face of the Scriptures, or what was worse, turning his back on them; he said that the Walrus had her name, in good legible characters on her starn, and that might answer for both of them; he protested, d n his eyes, that he wouldn't be branded like a thief; he incontinently wished the keeper of the privy seal to the d -l; he insisted there was no use in the practice, unless one threw all aback, and went starn foremost into society, a rudeness at which human natur' revolted; he knew a man in Stunin'tun who had five names, and he should like to know what they would do with him, if this practice should come into fashion there; he had no objection to a little paint, but no red-hot knitting-needle should make acquaintance with his flesh, so long as he walked his quarter-deck."
A sound of falling water, audible for some time, now grew so loud that conversation became difficult. All the insects had disappeared. "We are approaching the River Starn!" roared Sir Lionel. Largely as a sedative to the feverish excitement which consumed me, I forced myself to study the construction of the tunnel; and I became aware of an astonishing circumstance.
You take things coolly, I've a notion, in the old country. I don't want to be hanging head and starn in this little bit of a river of your'n. I must be back to New York afore fever time." "She be a pretty craft, that little thing of yours," observed old Tom; "how long may she take to make the run?" "How long?
On the whole, she was gaining, though so slowly as to require the most experienced eye to ascertain the fact. "Madame Budd," said Spike, in a hypocritical tone, "we are in great danger, and I shall have to ask you to change your seat. The boat is too much by the starn, now we've got into deep water, and your weight amidships would be a great relief to us.
A starn chase is a long chase, anyhow. The brig sails well, and there ain't more than two hours daylight; so Monsieur must be quick, or we'll give him the slip yet." The privateer was now within a mile of them; both vessels had "got their way;" and their respective powers of sailing were to be ascertained. In half an hour the privateer had neared to three quarters of a mile.
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