"SHE be a pretty craft, that little thing of yours," observed old Tom.
"How long may she take to make the run?" "How long? I expect in just no
time; and she'd go as fast again, only she won't wait for the breeze to
come up with her." "Why don't you heave to for it?" said young Tom.
"Lose too much time, I guess. I have been chased by an easterly wind all
the way from your Land's-end to our Narrows, and it never could overhaul
me." "And I presume the porpusses give it up in despair, don't they?"
replied old Tom with a leer; "and yet I've seen the creatures playing
before the bows of an English frigate at her speed, and laughing at
her." "They never play their tricks with me, old snapper; if they do, I
cut them in halves, and a-starn they go, head part floating one side,
and tail part on the other." "But don't they join together again when
they meet in your wake?" inquired Tom. "Shouldn't wonder," replied the
American Captain. "My little craft upset with me one night, in a pretty
considerable heavy gale; but she's smart, and came up again on the other
side in a moment, all right as before. Never should have known anything
about it, if the man at the wheel had not found his jacket wet, and the
men below had a round turn in all the clues of their hammocks." "After
that round turn, you may belay," cried Tom laughing. "Yes, but don't
let's have a stopper over all, Tom," replied his father. "I consider all
this excessively diverting. Pray, Captain, does everything else go fast
in the new country?" "Everything with us clear, slick, I guess." "What
sort of horses have you in America?" inquired I. "Our Kentuck horses,
I've a notion, would surprise you. They're almighty goers at a trot,
beat a N. W. gale of wind. I once took an Englishman with me in a gig up
Alabama country, and he says, 'What's this great church yard we are
passing through?' 'Stranger,' says I, 'I calculate it's nothing but the
mile-stones we are passing so slick.' But I once had a horse, who, I
expect, was a deal quicker than that; I once seed a flash of lightning
chase him for half an hour round the clearance, and I guess it couldn't
catch him."