"Certainly both these gentlemen are in His Majesty's service, and they have probably just landed from the ships in the offing." The truth of this conjecture was apparent to Dutton at a glance.

As the strangers joined each other, the one last seen proceeded in advance; and there was something in his years, the confident manner in which he approached, and his general appearance, that induced both the sailors to believe he might be the commander of one of the ships that had just come in view.
"Good-morrow, gentlemen," commenced this person, as soon as near enough to salute the party at the foot of the flag-staff; "good-morrow to ye all.

I'm glad to meet you, for it's but a Jacob's ladder, this path of yours, through the ravine in the cliffs.

Hey! why Atwood," looking around him at the sea of vapour, in surprise, "what the devil has become of the fleet ?" "It is lost in the fog, sir; we are above it, here; when more on a level with the ships, we could see, or fancy we saw, more of them than we do now." "Here are the upper sails of two heavy ships, sir," observed Wychecombe, pointing in the direction of the vessels already seen; "ay, and yonder are two more--nothing but the royals are visible." "Two more!--I left eleven two-deckers, three frigates, a sloop, and a cutter in sight, when I got into the boat.

You might have covered 'em all with a pocket-handkerchief, hey! Atwood!" "They were certainly in close order, sir, but I'll not take it on myself to say quite as near together as that." "Ay, you're a dissenter by trade, and never will believe in a miracle.
Sharp work, gentlemen, to get up such a hill as this, after fifty." "It is, indeed, sir," answered Sir Wycherly, kindly.