"Why not?" asked Tom Nettle.

"Suppose we should have occasion to tack, or to take in sail in a hurry?
Have we got to wait for you to finish your plate of chowder?"

"We are all as hungry as bears, Captain Gordon," added Frank Thompson.
"We can't stand it any longer."

"Part of you must stand it half an hour longer. Captain Briskett has the
helm, and the larboard watch will remain on deck, the starboard watch go
below."

The captain's watch tumbled down the companion way, ranged themselves
round the table, and went to work as though they had not eaten anything
for a month. As they are doing very well, we will return to the deck,
and listen a few moments to the remarks of the mate's watch.

Paul had seated himself by the side of the helmsman, and was asking
questions in regard to the reef, the depth of water in the harbor, and
other questions of interest only to nautical persons. The rest of the
watch had gathered in a group on the forecastle. It was unfortunate that
so many of the refractory spirits had been chosen into the same watch;
but there were Tom Kettle, Frank Thompson, and Samuel Nason, all three
of whom had once been expelled from the club for misconduct, and only
been readmitted on their solemn promise to mend their manners, and
behave like gentlemen in future.

"I don't like it," said Tom; "and if the rest of the fellows will back
me up, I will go below and have dinner with the crowd."

"I will back you up, for one," said Frank.

"And I, for another," added Samuel.

"But Captain Gordon gave a good reason why some of us should remain on
deck," suggested one of the boys.

"No, he didn't. What is there to do? We shan't have to touch a sail this
hour--see if we do," retorted Tom.

"But we might have occasion to do so, and for one, I am willing to
observe the discipline of the vessel," said Charles Lawrence.

"I don't like the idea of having old Gordon domineering over us for a
week," added Frank. "I don't care so much about the dinner as I do the
spirit the old fellow exhibited. He placed himself before the companion
way, just as though he had been the captain of a ship, and we were all
common sailors."

"We will cure him of that before we have been with him many days," added
Tom.

"I'll bet we will," answered Frank; "and I think the present is the best
time to begin. How many of you will make a grand rush into the cabin?"

There were only four of them who were willing to take this rash step.