"Think of it! Why, I can remember, though I was in petticoats, the bets that were made—and the cheers, and the bunting—and the bulletins posted up at the custom-house."
Jane was not sure of the whole meaning of this somewhat vague outburst, but Mr. Bolliver did not leave her long in doubt. He swept all at once into clear, consecutive reminiscence.
"I can remember it myself—the Sea Bride and the Yankee Flyer dropping anchor in Boston Harbor not over an hour apart—in from Hong-Kong in ninety-two days! Egad! They'd raced every inch of the way, never seeing each other from the hour they left till the moment they reached home, every scrap of canvas cracked on and never furled. Ninety-two days! Round the Horn that meant, mind you! Why, it's not so much longer than our friend the Delphian takes, with her steam and her Canal. The whole continent rang with such stories then. Yes, Jane, I remember my uncle holding me up above the crowd to see those two young skippers come up from India Wharf. Why, women were pelting 'em with flowers! Bah! Look at our dirty smoke trailing up across the decent sky!"
