the irate master's mate asseverated with considerable heat.

It was much better, indeed, than most of us youngsters had probably been
accustomed to when at school in our longshore days, no matter how we
might growl and turn up our noses at it now; but, cocksy Master Tommy,
of course, was incorrigible, treating such an innuendo as this, in spite
of the loud voice and pointed manner of Mr Stormcock, with the contempt
it deserved, the young rascal grinning and sticking his tongue in his
cheek in so provocative a fashion that the master's mate instantly
pitched a hot potato at him.

This caught Mr Fortescue Jones, the unoffending assistant-paymaster, in
the eye, and made all the purser's clerks yell with laughter.

When I went on deck again, shortly after Three Bells, we were pretty
well clear of the Isle of Wight, the Needles Rocks being off our weather
quarter and some miles distant, with the Dorset coast looming ahead.

As I stood listening to the quartermaster instructing the helmsmen, one
of whom was a young hand, telling them to keep the ship a couple of
points free, until, as time went on, it came close to the next hour, two
o'clock, or Four Bells; when, according to the routine of the service,
Adams, who was midshipman of the watch, hove the log and reported that
we were still only going eight knots, with the ebb tide in our favour.

At that moment, Captain Farmer came out of his cabin; and, hearing this,
directed the officer of the watch, Mr Bitpin, whose rightful turn of
duty it was, to set studding sails, not being satisfied, apparently,
with the old _Candahar's_ progress, although she was doing her best and
surging along in grand style, as I thought.

"Bosun's mate!" thereupon sang out the lieutenant. "Pipe watch to set
starboard topmast and to'gallant stu'ns'ls!"

"Ay, ay, sir," replied the boatswain's mate from his post by the
after-hatchway; and, almost in the same breath, his piercing shrill
whistle was heard, followed by his hoarse shout repeating Mr Bitpin's
gruff command. "Watch set starboard topmast and to'gallant stu'ns'ls!"

"Topmen aloft!"

"Jiggers at the tops'l lifts!"

"Clear away stu'ns'l gear!"

These successive orders were now jerked out in rapid rotation by Mr
Bitpin, who stood at the poop-rail bellowing away like a wild bull,
Captain Farmer remaining alongside him and surveying with critical eye
all that was done as the hands scrambled up the rigging and bustled
about the deck,