"Why, Shandon is commander, and nothing else; he's a brave and bold
sailor, an experienced whaler, and a jolly fellow worthy in every
respect to be the captain, but he isn't any more captain than you
or I. As to who is going to command after God on board he doesn't
know any more than we do. When the moment has come the true captain
will appear, no one knows how nor where, for Richard Shandon has not
said and hasn't been allowed to say to what quarter of the globe he
is going to direct his ship."

"But, Mr. Cornhill," continued the young sailor, "I assure you that
there is someone on board who was announced in the letter, and that
Mr. Shandon was offered the place of second to."

"What!" said Cornhill, frowning, "do you mean to maintain that the
_Forward_ has a captain on board?"

"Yes, Mr. Cornhill."

"Where did you get your precious information from?"

"From Johnson, the boatswain."

"From Johnson?"

"Yes, sir."

"Johnson told you so?"

"He not only told me so, but he showed me the captain."

"He showed him to you!" said Cornhill, stupefied. "And who is it,
pray?"

"A dog."

"What do you mean by a dog?"

"A dog on four legs."

Stupefaction reigned amongst the crew of the _Nautilus_. Under any
other circumstances they would have burst out laughing. A dog captain
of a vessel of a hundred and seventy tons burden! It was enough to
make them laugh. But really the _Forward_ was such an extraordinary
ship that they felt it might be no laughing matter, and they must
be sure before they denied it. Besides, Cornhill himself didn't laugh.

"So Johnson showed you the new sort of captain, did he?" added he,
addressing the young sailor, "and you saw him?"

"Yes, sir, as plainly as I see you now."

"Well, and what do you think about it?" asked the sailors of the
quartermaster.

"I don't think anything," he answered shortly. "I don't think anything,
except that the _Forward_ is a ship belonging to the devil, or madmen
fit for nothing but Bedlam."

The sailors continued silently watching the _Forward_, whose
preparations for departure were drawing to an end; there was not one
of them who pretended that Johnson had only been laughing at the young
sailor. The history of the dog had already made the round of the town,
and amongst the crowd of spectators many a one looked out for the
dog-captain and believed him to be a supernatural animal. Besides,
the _Forward_ had been attracting public attention for some mon