“How do you suppose he keeps it up like that?” I asked Jackwell, trying to be civil.

“Keeps what up like what?” he said, in his old tone.

“The yard,” I answered shortly.

“Oh, mostly by force of habit, I reckon,” said he, nodding sarcastically at me and wrinkling his nose.  “That’s it, ain’t it, Henry?  Your yards stay mastheaded mostly by force o’ habit, hey?  They don’t need no ropes.”

I saw I was not forgotten, so afterward I kept quiet when he spoke.  In a moment or two after this there was a wild yell from forward.  This terminated into a deep bass roar, and we all jumped up to see what was the matter.

The form of a man sat on the starboard cat-head, and in his mouth was a horn of enormous size, the mouth being fully three feet across.

“Sooaye, Sooa-a-aye!” he roared.  “Make way fer the great king o’ the sea!”

I saw the fellow had on a long, rope-yarn beard and a wig to match, while a pair of black wings hung from his shoulders.

While he called, creatures swarmed over the bows.  Men with beards and men without, some holding long spears and streamers, and some with three-pronged tridents, all having huge heads with grotesque faces, and forked tails which hung down behind.

“Hooray fer the king o’ the sea!” bawled the fellow through the horn; and then the motley crowd yelled in chorus, some blowing huge conch-shells, and all making a most hideous racket.

Jennie stopped her ears and gazed, laughing at the throng.  She had been across the line before in some of the older ships with her father, and knew of the practice.  Mrs. Sackett and Captain Henry cheered and waved their handkerchiefs, but Jackwell sat silently looking on.  Finally all of us went to the break of the poop, where we could get a better view, and just as we arrived, a monstrous form came over the knight-heads and stood forth on deck.

The fellow had a beard fully a fathom long, and he stood nearly two fathoms high, his feet being hoof-shaped.  Gigantic black canvas wings hung from his shoulders, and a huge wig of rope-yarn, with the hair falling to his waist, sat on his head.  He was escorted unsteadily to a seat upon the trying-out furnace.

“All who have to worship the king, come forth, an’ stan’ out!” yelled the man with the horn.  This was greeted with cheers and blasts on the conch-shells.

Some of our men had never been over before, and one of the boat’s crew confessed.  He was quickly seized and brought before King Neptune.

“Sit ye down, right there in that there cheer,” said the king, scowling fiercely.

The fellow sat down and stared, smiling at the monster.

“Have ye paid fer comin’ acrost this here latitood, me son?” asked the king.

“No,” said the sailor.

“No, what?” roared the king.