ogether, he snatched out his
handkerchief and wiped his eyes.

"Bah!" he ejaculated. "Most unbecoming! I did not mean this,
gentlemen; the matter is too serious. But for goodness' sake get below
and make yourselves presentable. Mr Anderson, you ought not to have
laughed. See to all the poor fellows, sir. The men must have fresh
clothes served out, and all who are unfit for duty go into the sick
bay."

Then, frowning severely, he turned sharply upon his heels and marched to
the cabin door.

"Well," exclaimed the first lieutenant, "of all--`Mr Anderson, you
ought not to have laughed!' Well, gentlemen," he cried angrily, as he
turned upon the two young officers, "pray what do you find to laugh at?
Is my face black?"

"No, sir," cried Murray, in a half-choking voice. "I beg your pardon,
sir. It seemed so comic for the captain to turn upon you like that."

"Eh? Humph! Well, I suppose it was. I laughed too. Well, better
laugh than cry over spilt milk. It's the excitement, I suppose, and
what we have gone through. Now then, we had better go below and
interview the doctor; but he will be busy over the lads for a long time
before our turn comes."

"I believe the skipper's half-cracked," said Roberts, as the two lads
went below to their quarters.

"Then I'd keep my opinions to myself, old fellow," grumbled Murray; and
then as he seated himself upon a locker he uttered a low hissing sound
suggestive of pain.

"Pooh! This is a free country--no, I don't mean that," cried Roberts,
pulling himself up short. "I mean, every man has a right to his own
opinions."

"Yes, but not to give them aboard a man-o'-war."

"Bah! We're not slaves. Haven't we come to suppress slavery?"

"I dare say we have," said Murray, "but you'd better not let the skipper
know that you said he was a bit of a lunatic."

"Shall if I like. You won't be a sneak and tell. Why, it was ghastly
to see him turn as he did. One minute he was speaking feelingly and
letting us all see that he meant to spare no efforts about pursuing and
punishing that Yankee skipper, and the next he was laughing like a
hysterical school-girl."

"He couldn't help it, poor old boy," said Murray. "Old Anderson was
just as bad, and we caught the infection and laughed too, and so did the
men."

"Well, I can't see what there was to laugh at."

"That's the fun of it. But it is all through every one being so
overstrung, I suppose. There, do leave off riddl