p'n Barber just gave me the berth," he
remarked.

Ben sighed and shook his head. "He'll never be the same man ag'in," he
affirmed, positively; "'e went away: from 'ere dazed, quite dazed. 'Ow
was 'e when you saw 'im?"

"He was all right," was the reply.

Ben shook his head as one who knew better. "I 'ope he won't get no more
shocks," he observed, gravely. "It'll be nice for you to get to sea
ag'in, Cap'n."

Captain Nibletts raised his weather-beaten countenance and sniffed the
air with relish.

"You'll be able to see the _Diadem_ as we go by," continued the
sorely-aggravated Ben. "There's just her masts showing at 'igh water."

A faint laugh rose from somebody in the hold, and Nibletts, his face a
dull red, stole quietly below and took possession of his new quarters.
In the course of the day he transferred his belongings to the schooner,
and, as though half fearful that his new command might yet slip through
his fingers, slept on board.

On the way back to London a sum in simple proportion, set by Joe, helped
to exercise the minds of the crew in the rare intervals which the new
mate allowed them for relaxation: "If Ben was bad on the fust v'y'ge,
and much wuss on the second, wot 'ud he be like on the tenth?" All
agreed that the answer would require a lot of working. They tarred the
rigging, stropped the blocks, and in monkey-like attitudes scraped
the masts. Even the cook received a little instruction in his art, and
estranged the affections of all hands by a "three-decker," made under
Ben's personal supervision.

The secret society discussed the matter for some time in vain. The
difficulty was not so much in inventing modes of retaliation as in
finding some bold spirit to carry them out. In vain did the president
allot tasks to his admiring followers, preceded by excellent reasons why
he should not perform them himself. The only one who showed any spirit
at all was Tim, and he, being ordered to spill a little tar carelessly
from aloft, paid so much attention to the adverb that Joe half killed
him when he came down again.

Then Mr. William Green, having learnt that the mate was unable to read,
did wonders with a piece of chalk and the frying pan, which he hung
barometer fashion outside the galley when the skipper was below, the
laughter of the delighted crew bearing witness to the success of his
efforts, laughter which became almost uncontrollable as the mate, with
as stately an air as he could assume, strod