"If you come from that way, have you seen anything of my four men that deserted the schooner ?" "I wasn't lookin' for 'em; didn't know ye'd lost some men," replied Christy, staring with his mouth half open at the orator.

"Was one on 'em the mate ?" "Yes!" exclaimed the captain eagerly.
"Well, I hain't seen nothin' on em," added Christy in a mumbling tone.
"I'll bet you have!" protested the skipper of the West Wind.

"How'd you know one on 'em was the mate if you didn't see 'em ?" "I didn't know one on 'em was the mate; I only axed yer so's ter know." "I reckon you know sunthin about my men," persisted the captain; and by this time the attention of all the party had been directed to him.
"I don't know nothin' about yer men, and I hain't been interduced to 'em.

If you want to ship a new crew, I'm ready to jine with yer." "One man ain't enough," added the skipper.
"Some o' these men'll jine too, I reckon," suggested Christy, who had proceeded in this manner in order to attract the attention of the disconsolate master of the West Wind.
"I don't reckon they can ship, 'cause most on 'em belongs to the Tallahatchie, and they can't leave." "That's so," shouted several of the group, including some of the crew of the Bellevite.
"What's the Talla-what-you-call-her ?" demanded Christy.
"She's the steamer you can see when the fog lifts," answered Captain Sullendine.

"The Tallahatchie is her name.