noon
His hair , never very manageable , had received little attention during the voyage and now was as wild and rough as that of a savage . It would have required a long second glance for one to see the fine qualities of grit and self-reliance in the boy 's keen face . The sloop was making great speed down the middle channel of the Bay , her canvas straining in a fine west breeze , and her deck canted far to leeward . No boy could long withstand the pleasure of sailing on such a day , and before noon the young stranger had given in to a consuming desire to know the names of things . Jeremy now had the whole ship by heart and was filled with joy at the opportunity of talking about her to one more ignorant than himself . Of course , he was as proud of the _ Royal James _ as if he owned her . How he glowed over his account of the battle with the brig !