's hear what thim terms are."

"In the first place," said I, "you will all treat the lady with the
utmost respect, no one presuming to speak to her except in reply to any
remark which she may be pleased to make."

"I shan't agree to that," shouted Price aggressively. "We're all goin'
to be equal, here, now; and if I feel like speakin' to the gal, I shall
speak to her, and I'd like to know who'll stop me."

"Oh, shut up, Chips, cawn't ye!" exclaimed one of the other men--a
Cockney, if his tongue did not belie him, "shut up, and stow that
`equality' yarn of yours. We've all heard that before, and I, for one,
don't believe in it; it's all very well among a lot o' sailor-men like
ourselves, but you'll never be the equal of the lidy--no, nor of the
gent neither--not if you was to live to be as old as Mathusalem; so what
good would it do you to talk to her? Why, she wouldn't _look_ at an old
tarry-breeches like you or me, much less talk to us! Garn! You go
ahead, sir; _we'll_ look awfter Chips, and keep him in order; never
fear!"

"I hope you will, for your own sakes," I retorted significantly, leaving
them to interpret my meaning as they chose. "My next condition," I
continued, "is that the cabin and the staterooms are to be left to the
exclusive use of the lady and myself, the steward only being allowed
access to them.

"My next condition is that no man shall have more than two gills of rum
per day--half to be served out at midday, and the remainder at four
bells of the first dog-watch. In the event of bad weather, or other
especial circumstances, the allowance may be increased at my discretion,
and by so much as I may consider necessary.

"And my last condition is that when this business is concluded, the lady
and I are to be allowed to take the boat, with a sufficient stock of
provisions and water, and to quit the ship within sight of some suitable
harbour, to be chosen by myself."

A dead silence followed this bold announcement on my part, which was at
length broken by O'Gorman, who, looking round upon his motley crowd of
followers, demanded:

"Well, bhoys, you've heard what the gintleman says. Have anny of ye
annything to say agin it?"

"Yes; I have," answered the irrepressible Price. "I don't care a
ropeyarn whether I'm allowed to speak to the gal or not; but I thinks
that O'Gorman and me, seein' that we're to be the mates of this here
hooker, ought to berth aft, and to take our meals in the cabin;