ours. "I want my breakfast; when I've had that I'll relieve you."

The mate made no reply, and as soon as the captain went below he hurried
forward to bid the cook make haste with the cabin breakfast. It was a
difficult matter, however, to keep the galley fire alight, or the pots
on it in their places. The weather seemed to be improving, but the men
were well-nigh worn out with pumping. When the captain at last came on
deck, in spite of their grumbling, he kept them labouring away as hard
as ever, and ordered Jim and me to take our turn with the rest. This we
did willingly, as we knew that unless all exerted themselves the brig
must founder.

As noon approached, the captain brought up his quadrant, and sent below
to summon the mate to take observations though the clouds hung so
densely over the sky that there was but little chance of doing this.

"Might as well try to shoot the sun at midnight as now, with the clouds
as dark as pitch," growled the mate. "What was the use of calling me up
for such fool's work?"

"What's that you say?" shouted the captain. "Do you call me a fool?"

"Yes, I do, if you expect to take an observation with such a sky as we
have got overhead," answered the mate.

"Then take that!" screamed the captain, throwing the quadrant he held in
his hand at the mate's head, not, for the moment, probably, recollecting
what it was.

It struck the mate on the temple, who, falling, let his own quadrant go,
and both were broken to pieces.

"Here's a pretty business," cried one of the men, "I wonder now what
will become of us!"

Good reason we had to wonder. The mate, picking himself up, flew at the
captain, and a fearful struggle ensued. Both were too excited to know
what they were about, and the captain, who was the stronger of the two,
would have hove the mate overboard had not the crew rushed aft and
separated them.

The mate then went below, and the captain rolled about the deck,
stamping and shouting that he would be revenged on him. At last he also
went down into the cabin.

Fearing that he would at once put his fearful threats into execution and
attack the mate, I followed, intending to call the crew to my assistance
should it be necessary. I saw him, however, take another pull at the
rum bottle, and then, growling and muttering, turn into his bed. I
waited till I supposed that he was asleep, and then I went to the mate's
berth.

"There is no one in charge of the deck, sir," I