re was one who tried
to cut in before he could quite make it. When he had to put back or
run ashore and lose her, a great laugh went up, though there was
nothing the matter with the try. He had only tried too much.

Eddie Parsons was the sharp critic. "Trying to beat out the fleet,
hey? And with that old hooker? Nothing wrong with your nerve, old man,
but some fine day, when there's a little wind stirring, you'll roll
that tub over a little too far. That's right--jam her up now! Think
you got a steamboat? Wonder nobody ever told you about sailing a
vessel. Come out of it, old man, and let her swing off."

We had yet to get in ourselves, and that we had the Johnnie Duncan to
eat into the wind we were thankful. At last we were by and reaching
down to the end of the jetty. We all began to feel good once we were
sure of it. It was fine, too, to listen to Clancy as we got near. He
was standing on the break, leaning against the weather rigging and
looking forward.

"You'd think she'd been coming here for a hundred years, wouldn't you?
Look at her point her nose now at that beacon--don't have to give this
one the wheel at all. She's the girl. See her bow off now. Man, but
she knows as well as you and me she'll be inside and snug's a kenched
mackerel before long. Watch her kick into the wind now. Oh, she's the
lady, this one. I've sailed many of them, but she's the queen of them
all, this one."

A half dozen of lucky fellows were in before us. We drove in among
them, under the bow of one and past the stern of another. They were
all watching us, after the custom of the fleet in harbor. We knew this
and behaved as smartly as we could without slopping over.

By and by our skipper picked out a place to his fancy. "Stand by
halyards and down-hauls," was his warning.

"Ready--all ready."

"Ready with the anchor!"

"All ready the anchor, sir!"

"Down with your jib! Down with jumbo! Let go your fore halyards! Watch
out now--ready--let go your anchor!"

Rattle--whizz--whir-r-r--splash! clink--and the Johnnie Duncan of
Gloucester was safe to her mooring.

And not till then did our skipper, ten hours to the wheel, unclinch
his grip, hook the becket to a spoke, slat his sou'wester on the
wheel-box and ease his mind.

"Thank the Lord, there's a jeesly blow behind us. There's some
outside'll wish they had a shore job before they get in. Hi, boys,
when you get her tied up for'ard, better all go below and have a bite
to eat. L