captain, whose
passion was somewhat moderated by the delay which kept him from his
victim.

"I'm ready to obey orders, and always have been," answered Noddy, who
had by this time begun to think of the consequences of his resistance.

"Will you swab up the deck, as I told you?"

"I will, sir; but I won't be whipped by no drunken man.

"Drunken man!" repeated the captain. "You shall be whipped for that, you
impudent young villain!"

The captain mounted the heel of the bowsprit, and was making his way up
to the point occupied by the refractory cabin-boy, when Mollie reached
the forecastle, and grasped her father in her little arms.

"Don't, father, don't!" pleaded she.

"Go away, Mollie," said he, sternly. "He is impudent and mutinous, and
shall be brought to his senses."

"Stop, father, do stop!" cried Mollie, piteously.

He might as well stop, for by this time Noddy had mounted the jib-stay,
and was halfway up to the mast head.

"He called me a drunken man, Mollie, and he shall suffer for it!"
replied Captain McClintock, in tones so savage that the poor girl's
blood was almost frozen by them.

"Stop, father!" said she, earnestly, as he turned to move aft again.

"Go away, child."

"He spoke the truth," replied she, in a low tone, as her eyes filled
with tears, and she sobbed bitterly.

"The truth, Mollie!" exclaimed her father, as though the words from that
beloved child had paralyzed him.

"Yes, father, you have been drinking again. You promised me last
night--you know what you promised me," said she, her utterance broken by
the violence of her emotions.

He looked at her in silence for an instant; but his breast heaved under
the strong feelings which agitated him. That glance seemed to overcome
him; he dropped the rope's end, and, rushing aft, disappeared down the
companion-way. Mollie followed him into the cabin, where she found him
with his head bent down upon the table, weeping like an infant.

Noddy leisurely descended from his perch at the mast head, from which he
had witnessed this scene without hearing what was said; indeed, none of
the crew had heard Mollie's bitter words, for she had spoken them in an
impressive whisper.

"Well, youngster, you have got yourself into hot water," said the mate,
when the boy reached the deck.

"I couldn't help it," replied Noddy, who had begun to look doubtfully at
the future.

"Couldn't help it, you young monkey!"

Noddy was disposed at first to resen