The boatswain noticed this on the sound of the ship's bell waking him up from a little nap into which he had nearly fallen when things became quiet and I ceased to talk.
"Bedad ye're tremblin' all over, loike a shaved monkey wid the ag'ey, sure," he said as he yawned and stretched himself, rising from his seat on the knightheads, where he was supposed to be keeping a strict look- out in the absence of the other men from forward.

"Why the dickens don't ye go into the cuddy aft an' warrum y'rsilf, an' dhry y'r wit clothes be the stowve there, youngster ?" "I was just thinking of it," I replied.
"Ye'd betther do it, that's betther nor thinkin'," he retorted; "or ilse ye'll be catching a cowld an' gittin' them nasty screwmatics as makes me howl av a winther sometimes." As Tim spoke, I heard a splashing noise in the distance, with the rattling sound of oars moving in the rowlocks; and, looking over the bows to the left, I noticed a large boat rowing rapidly up to us from the direction of Gravesend.
This boat, as it got nearer, seemed to be crammed full of men, its gunwale being quite down to the water's edge with the weight of its human cargo.
In an instant, the thought flashed through my mind, ridiculous though it was, that the ship was about to be boarded by pirates, my reading for some time past, and especially during the last week or so when I was assured of going to sea, having been mainly confined to stories of nautical adventure, in which such gentry generally played a prominent part.
"Look, look, Mr Rooney!" I cried stopping my shivering and feeling all aglow with excitement.

"Don't you see that boat there coming towards us to capture the ship ?" "Arrah, don't make a fool av y'rsilf, Misther Gray-ham," he answered, laughing and taking the matter quite coolly.

"It's ownly goin' to that Yankee astern av us; but the tide bein' on the ebb, in course, they've got to make foorther up the strame towards this vessel, so as to fetch their own craft handsomely--d'ye see ?" He was mistaken, however, for the boat approached closer and closer to us, so that the occupants could be clearly distinguished; and, just as it came alongside, a man in the stern-sheets, who had been steering, stood up, still holding the yokelines, and hailed the ship.
"Silver Queen, ahoy!" "Begorra, it's the skipper!" ejaculated Tim, recognising the voice at once; and he then shouted out in a louder tone: "Aye, aye, Cap'en Gillespie, it's the owld barquy, sure enough.

Stand by, an' I'll haive ye a rhope in a brace av shakes!" The quiet that had reigned on board now vanished; and all was bustle and activity, the captain's loud hail having been heard by others besides the boatswain.
Almost before he had time to pitch the promised rope to the bowman of the boat so that it could drop down with the stream under the ship's counter, Mr Mackay and the pilot appeared again on the poop; while the others came out on to the main-deck, ready to receive the new-comers in seaman-like fashion, the second mate and Matthews taking up a position just amidships, abaft of the main-chains, where the side-ladder was fixed, acting as a sort of guard of honour as it were.
First to appear on board, holding on to the side lines which the second mate had thrown over within his reach, and stepping up the narrow and slippery ladder cleats as if he were ascending a comfortable staircase, only pausing an instant on the edge of the gunwale of the bulwarks before jumping down on the deck, was a tall spare man with a thin face and high cheekbones, a long pointed nose being also a most prominent feature.