There the breeze was fresh and cold, but here
it was delightfully mild; and when a puff blew off the land, it came
laden with the most exquisite perfume that can be imagined. While we
thus gazed, we were startled by a loud "Huzza!" from Peterkin, and on
looking towards the edge of the sea, we saw him capering and jumping
about like a monkey, and ever and anon tugging with all his might at
something that lay upon the shore.
"What an odd fellow he is, to be sure!" said Jack, taking me by the arm
and hurrying forward; "come, let us hasten to see what it is."
"Here it is, boys, hurrah! come along. Just what we want," cried
Peterkin, as we drew near, still tugging with all his power. "First-rate;
just the very ticket!"
I need scarcely say to my readers that my companion Peterkin was in the
habit of using very remarkable and peculiar phrases. And I am free to
confess that I did not well understand the meaning of some of them
--such, for instance, as "the very ticket"; but I think it my duty to
recount everything relating to my adventures with a strict regard to
truthfulness in as far as my memory serves me; so I write, as nearly as
possible, the exact words that my companions spoke. I often asked
Peterkin to explain what he meant by "ticket," but he always answered
me by going into fits of laughter. However, by observing the occasions
on which he used it, I came to understand that it meant to show that
something was remarkably good or fortunate.
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