ally
at me and wrinkling his nose. "That's it, ain't it, Henry? Your yards
stay mastheaded mostly by force o' habit, hey? They don't need no ropes."

I saw I was not forgotten, so afterward I kept quiet when he spoke. In a
moment or two after this there was a wild yell from forward. This
terminated into a deep bass roar, and we all jumped up to see what was
the matter.

The form of a man sat on the starboard cat-head, and in his mouth was a
horn of enormous size, the mouth being fully three feet across.

"Sooaye, Sooa-a-aye!" he roared. "Make way fer the great king o' the
sea!"

I saw the fellow had on a long, rope-yarn beard and a wig to match, while
a pair of black wings hung from his shoulders.

While he called, creatures swarmed over the bows. Men with beards and men
without, some holding long spears and streamers, and some with
three-pronged tridents, all having huge heads with grotesque faces, and
forked tails which hung down behind.

"Hooray fer the king o' the sea!" bawled the fellow through the horn; and
then the motley crowd yelled in chorus, some blowing huge conch-shells,
and all making a most hideous racket.

Jennie stopped her ears and gazed, laughing at the throng. She had been
across the line before in some of the older ships with her father, and
knew of the practice. Mrs. Sackett and Captain Henry cheered and waved
their handkerchiefs, but Jackwell sat silently looking on. Finally all of
us went to the break of the poop, where we could get a better view, and
just as we arrived, a monstrous form came over the knight-heads and stood
forth on deck.

The fellow had a beard fully a fathom long, and he stood nearly two
fathoms high, his feet being hoof-shaped. Gigantic black canvas wings
hung from his shoulders, and a huge wig of rope-yarn, with the hair
falling to his waist, sat on his head. He was escorted unsteadily to a
seat upon the trying-out furnace.

"All who have to worship the king, come forth, an' stan' out!" yelled the
man with the horn. This was greeted with cheers and blasts on the
conch-shells.

Some of our men had never been over before, and one of the boat's crew
confessed. He was quickly seized and brought before King Neptune.

"Sit ye down, right there in that there cheer," said the king,
scowling fiercely.

The fellow sat down and stared, smiling at the monster.

"Have ye paid fer comin' acrost this here latitood, me son?" asked the
king.

"No," said the sailor.

"No,