d matters just a trifle too strong in the fo'c's'le just now?
Seems to me, mate, that you spoke out plainer than was altogether wise
by way of a starter. If 't had been me, now, I should ha' felt my way a
bit; talked more in a general sort of a way, you know. I tell you it
fairly took my breath away to hear you rap out about piratin' right off
the reel. I'm afraid that chap Parsons 'll get suspicious next time any
thing's said."

"Yes," Williams admitted, "I did overrun my ground-tackle a trifle; no
mistake about that. Parsons sort of provoked me into it. But don't you
trouble; it'll give the thing a start, and set the hands talking
together; and as for Parsons, you'll see I'll put everything right next
time we have a yarn together. He called me `smart,' and he's right; I'm
a precious sight smarter than he gives me credit for being, 'cute as he
is. And there's no harm done; I could see that I've given some of 'em a
new idea or two to overhaul and think about. I think that, even now, I
could name three or four in our watch who'll prove all right when the
time comes."

There was a great deal more said in the same strain which need not be
repeated; the pith of the conversation has been given, and will suffice
to suggest to the intelligent reader the idea that, even thus early in
her first voyage, there was something radically wrong on board the
_Flying Cloud_.

To the superficial eye, however, everything seemed to point to a
prosperous voyage. The wind continued slowly but steadily to haul round
from the northward, and by nine o'clock in the evening of the fifth day
out the good ship, with a breeze at about due north and fresh enough to
necessitate the stowing of all three skysails, was off Cape Finisterre
and bowling along upon her course with studding, sails, from the royals
down, set to windward, and reeling off her knots in a manner which
caused the mates to stare incredulously at the line every time they hove
the log.

As for the little party of passengers in the saloon, they were
delighted--charmed with each other, with the captain, with the
midshipmen, with the crew--who seemed to them an exceptionally smart and
steady set of men--with the ship, and with the weather; with everything
and every body, in fact, but the two mates, who both proved to be very
disagreeable men. There had not been a single symptom of _mal de mer_
among them, though the motion had been pretty lively during the passage
across th