Will you take me off to her ?" With a contemptuous glance at the disreputable-looking young trooper, the man answered: "See about it when I get ready to go." "Please make haste, then, for my business is very important, and I am in a great hurry." "Oh, you be.

Reckon you'd better swim out, then, for I've been hurried by you landlubbers 'bout as much as I propose to be on this v'y'ge." Ridge's face flushed, and he wanted to make an angry retort; but there was no other boat available, and he could not afford to throw away this chance.

So he bit his lips and silently watched the deliberate movements of the men, who seemed to find a pleasure in aggravating him by their slowness.
The boat could have been unloaded in five minutes, but the operation was made to consume a half-hour, during which time Ridge stood silent, though with finger-nails digging into the palms of his clinched hands.
All at once, without a word of warning, the boat's crew began to shove their craft from the beach.
"Hold on!" cried Ridge, springing forward.

"I am going with you." "Why aren't you aboard, then ?" asked the mate, with a grin, as his men gave another shove that launched the boat into deep water.
Leaping into the sea, Ridge barely succeeded in clutching a gunwale and pulling himself aboard, amid chuckles of laughter from the crew.

His ducking had not improved his personal appearance, and as he now sat in the bow of the boat dripping water from every point, he formed an object for so much rude wit and coarse merriment, that upon reaching the transport he was furious with pent-up wrath.
On gaining the deck of the ship he hurried forward, and found her Captain smoking an after-breakfast cigar in his comfortably appointed cabin.
"Well, sir, who are you?
and what do you want ?" demanded this individual, as Ridge presented himself at the door.
"I am an army officer bearing a message of the utmost importance from General Sumner to Admiral Sampson; and as this is the only steam-vessel in the harbor, I have come to ask that you will carry me to the flag-ship." "If you haven't got cheek!" ejaculated the Captain.