it was to be a long time before either john or the old man spoke , in fact it was not until the city had been left behind them and had been replaced by a wide expanse of murky water flanked by green fields and autumn trees devoid of leaf that the first of the giant 's deep warnings came , aready about , @ he warned , the yacht jibed and he added , alee ho , @ as the boom swung across the boat forcing the old man to duck .