Captain Price was watching him, too.  He saw him smiling and talking over the rail to the girl.

“Slack off that spring,” he roared suddenly, as they began to let the ship down to the sea level; and the mate jumped for the coil on the bitts.

“Keep your eyes about you, for’ard there,” ordered the Captain tersely.

“Aye, aye, sir,” sang out the mate cheerfully.

The mud pilot, beside the Captain on the bridge, grinned agreeably.

“Arthur’s got an eye in his head, indeed,” he remarked, and lifted his cap to Minnie.

The Captain snorted, and gave his whole attention to hauling out, only turning his head at the last minute to wave a farewell to his owner’s daughter.  The mud pilot took charge and brought her clear; and as soon as he had gone over to his boat, the Captain rang for full steam ahead and waited for the mate to take the bridge.

The young man came up smiling.  “It’s a fine morning, father,” he remarked, as he walked over to the binnacle.

“Mister Mate,” said the Captain harshly, “you all but lost me that hawser.”

“Just in time, wasn’t it?” replied the mate pleasantly.

“I don’t reckon to slack off and take in my lines myself,” went on the Captain.  “I reckon to leave that to my officers.  And if an officer carries; away a five-inch manila through makin’ eyes at girls on the pier-head, I dock his wages for the cost of it, and I log him for neglectin’ his duty.”

The mate looked:  at him sharply for a moment; the Captain scowled back.

“Have you got anything to say to me?” demanded the Captain.

“Yes,” said the mate, “I have.”  He broke into a smile.  “But it’s something I can’t say while you’re actin’ the man-o’-war captain on your bridge.  It doesn’t concern the work o’ the ship.”

“What does it concern?” asked the Captain.

“Me,” said the mate.  He folded his arms across the binnacle and looked into his father’s face confidently.  The Captain softened.

“Well, Arthur?” he said.

“That was Minnie on the pier-head,” said the mate.  The Captain nodded.  “I was up at their place last night,” the young man continued, “and we had a talk—­she and I—­and so it came about that we fixed things between us.  Mr. Davis is agreeable, so long-----”

“Hey, what’s this?” The Captain stared at his son amazedly.  “What was it you fixed up with Minnie?”

“Why, to get married,” replied the mate, reddening.  “I was telling you.  Her father’s willing, as long as we wait till I get a command before we splice.”

“You to marry Minnie!” The mate stiffened at the emphasis on the “you.”  The Captain was fighting for expression.  “Why,” he said, “why —­why, you’ld ‘a’ carried away that hawser if I hadn’t sung out at ye.”

“Father,” said the mate.  “Mr. Davis’ll give me a ship.”

“What ship?” demanded the Captain.

“The first he can,” replied the other.  “He’s thinkin’ of buyin’ the Stormberg, Wrench Wylie’s big freighter, and he’d shift you on to her.  Then I’d have the Burdock.”