Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

SPECIMEN DAYS 137hood. That, however, did not disturb me. TheOld Campaigneris never quite so happy as whenhe issearching for a caravan in an unknowncountry, and though he did not turn up for fullyan hour there was no doubt that he had had athoroughly good time.Our next encounter was with the Commodore.(I don't know at all what his rank and status mayhave been, but at least he wore a white-peakedcap and he appeared to be in charge of the ferrytraffic.) He told us that there was no boat tillthe following morning, as the tide was wrong, andalso that SIEGLINDA was too big to get on to theboat that went then. His best boat, he said,much his best boat was at present laid up. Hewas an excellent fellow, the Commodore, butrather too short in the leg for the work of measuringvehicles.When I asked him to pace the lengthof SIEGLINDA he took eight very solemn little stepsand pronounced her twenty-four feet long. ThenI tried, and covered the distance in five steps.But he was not at all convinced. She wastwenty-four feet, he maintained, if she was aninch. At last he sent for a foot-rule and we arrivedat a more moderate estimate. He then concludedthat she would go on his boat, if duly presentedat 9 a.m. on the following day.