on looking round, discovered that the disputants
were one of my own men and the boatswain, the latter of whom was
threatening the other with a rope's-end. Without waiting to hear or see
more I instantly dashed down the poop-ladder and ran forward, pushing my
way through a little crowd who had gathered round the chief actors of
the scene; and as I did so I became suddenly conscious of the fact that
the men among whom I was forcing my way were a distinctly ruffianly,
ill-conditioned lot, who seemed more than half disposed to resent
actively my sudden appearance among them.

"Now then, Martin," I said sharply, "what is all this disturbance about,
and why is the boatswain threatening you with that rope's-end?"

"Why, sir," answered Martin, who was suffering from a grape-shot wound
in the leg, "I understood you to say this morning as none of us as is
wounded is to go aloft; yet here's this here bo's'un swears as he'll
make me go up and take the turn out o' that fore-to'gallan' clew,
instead of sendin' one of his own people up to do it. I couldn't climb
the riggin' without bustin' this here wound of mine open again--"

"Of course not," I answered. "I thought I had made it clear to you,
Tonkin," turning to the boatswain, "that I do not wish any of my wounded
men to be sent aloft. That man is in no fit condition to go up on to
the topsail-yard."

"Ain't he?" retorted the boatswain in a very offensive manner. "While
he's in my watch I'm goin' to be the judge of what he's fit to do, and
what he's not fit to do; and I say he's quite fit to do the job that
I've ordered him to do. And he's goin' to do it too, or I'll know the
reason why. And, what's more, I won't have no brass-bound young
whipper-snappers comin' for'ard here to interfere with me and tell me
what I'm to do and what I'm not to do; and I hope that's speakin' plain
enough for to be understood, Mr Midshipman What's-your-name. Now
then," he continued, turning to Martin again, "will you obey my orders,
or must I make yer?" And he took a fresh grip upon the rope's-end with
which he was threatening the man.

"Drop that rope's-end at once, you scoundrel!" I exclaimed angrily; for
I saw by the man's manner, and by the approving sniggers of the men who
surrounded us, that he had been deliberately and intentionally insulting
to me, and that unless I took a firm stand at once the ship would
speedily become untenable to my men and myself. "You must surely be
drunk,