whose skinny lips, instead of joining
in the noise, were so firmly compressed as to render the crevice of the
mouth no more strongly marked than a wrinkle in the brow of a man of
sixty. His complexion was naturally fair, but exposure had tanned the
skin of his face to the color of the crackle of a roasted pig; those
parts which a painter would be apt to term the "high lights" being
indicated by touches of red, nearly as bright as fourth-proof brandy.
His eyes were small, stern, fiery, and very gray; and just at the
instant they met my admiring look they resembled two stray coals that by
some means had got separated from the body of adjacent heat in the
face. He had a prominent, well-shaped nose, athwart which the skin
was stretched like leather in the process of being rubbed down on the
currier's bench, and his ropy black hair was carefully smoothed over
his temples and brows, in a way to show that he was abroad on a holiday
excursion.

When our eyes met, this singular-looking being gave me a nod of friendly
recognition, for no better reason that I could discover than the fact
that I did not appear to be a Frenchman. "Did mortal man ever listen to
such fools, captain?" he observed, as if certain we must think alike on
the subject.

"Really I did not attend to what was said; there certainly is much
noise."

"I don't pretend to understand a word of what they are saying myself;
but it SOUNDS like thorough nonsense."

"My ear is not yet sufficiently acute to distinguish sense from nonsense
by mere intonation and sound--but it would seem, sir, that you speak
English only."

"Therein you are mistaken; for, being a great traveller, I have been
compelled to look about me, and as a nat'ral consequence I speak a
little of all languages. I do not say that I use the foreign parts of
speech always fundamentally, but then I worry through an idee so as
to make it legible and of use, especially in the way of eating and
drinking. As to French, now, I can say 'don-nez-me some van,' and
'don-nez-vous some pan,' as well as the best of them; but when there are
a dozen throats bawling at once, as is the case with these here
chaps, why one might as well go on the top of Ape's Hill and hold a
conversation with the people he will meet with there, as to pretend to
hold a rational or a discussional discourse. For my part, where there is
to be a conversation, I like every one to have his turn, keeping up the
talk, as it might be, watch and