ty, whose outskirts only I
saw before me, seemingly boundless though my gaze might be.

All this flashed across me; but most wonderful of all to me was the
thought that my dream of months past was at length realised; and that
here I was actually on board a real ship, going towards the sea as fast
as the staunch little Arrow tug could tow us down the river, aided by a
good tide running under us three knots the hour at least.

It was almost incredible; and, unable to contain myself any longer I
felt I must speak to somebody at all hazards.

My choice of this "somebody," however, was a very limited one, for Mr
Mackay and the mysterious man in the oilskin coat, and Adams, the
steersman, the only persons on the poop besides myself, were all too
busy to talk to me; albeit the former good-naturedly gave me an
occasional kindly glance, as if he wished me to understand that his
silence was not owing to any unfriendliness, or intended to make me
"keep my distance," as I might otherwise have thought.

As for Mr Saunders, the second mate, he had dived down the companion
way into the cuddy below as soon as we had got out into the river and
were in tow of the tug; and was probably now engaged in finishing his
interrupted dinner, as his services were no longer required on deck.
Matthews, the biggest of the three young fellows who had come up with
him to help unmoor the ship and warp out of dock, had also followed his
example in the most praiseworthy fashion.

Jerrold, the other youth, in company with the lanky boy of my own size
were still hovering about, though neither had spoken to me; and the two
were just now having a chat together by the door of the after-deckhouse,
which Mr Mackay had pointed out to me as set apart for the
accommodation of us "middies," or apprentices, although I had not yet
had an opportunity of inspecting its interior arrangements.

But, strange to say, the noisy gangs of men, who had been only a short
time before bustling about the deck below, rushing from the forecastle
aft and then back again, and pulling and hauling and shoving everywhere,
so effectively as to push me to the other end of the ship and almost
overboard, seemed to have disappeared in almost as unaccountable a
fashion as the man in the oilskin had made his appearance.

Beyond this latter gentleman, therefore, and Mr Mackay, and Adams the
steersman--to whom I was going to speak once only Mr Mackay shook his
head--and my fellow apprentice