Possibly he thought he had said too much already.

A moment later the door banged behind the discomforted boarding party.
Captain Cy pulled his beard and laughed.
"Well, we repelled 'em, didn't we ?" he observed.

"But, as friend Heman says, the beginnin's only begun.

I wish he hadn't seen you here, teacher." Miss Dawes looked up from the task of stroking poor Bos'n's hair.
"I don't," she said, "I'm glad of it." Then she added, laughing nervously: "Cap'n Whittaker, how could you be so cool?
It was like a play.

I declare, you were just splendid!".