ht it right to tell you."

"I am much obliged to you, Swinburne, for your good wishes; but I can do
my duty, and why should I fear anything?"

"A man may do his duty, Mr Simple; but if a captain is determined to
ruin him, he has the power. I have been longer in the service than you
have, and have been wide awake: only be careful of one thing Mr Simple;
I beg your pardon for being so free, but in no case lose your temper."

"No fear of that, Swinburne," replied I.

"It's very easy to say `no fear of that,' Mr Simple: but recollect you
have not yet had your temper tried as some officers have. You have
always been treated like a gentleman; but should you find yourself
treated otherwise, you have too good blood in your veins not to speak--I
am sure of that. I've seen officers insulted and irritated, till no
angel could put up with the treatment--and then for an unguarded word,
which they would have been _swabs_ not to have made use of, sent out of
the service to the devil."

"But you forget, Swinburne, that the articles of war are made for the
captain as well as for everybody else in the ship."

"I know that; but still, at court-martials captains make a great
distinction between what a superior says to an inferior, and what an
inferior says to a superior."

"True," replied I, quoting Shakespeare:--

"`That's in the captain but a choleric word,
Which in the soldier is rank blasphemy.'"

"Exactly my meaning--I rather think," said Swinburne, "if a captain
calls you no gentleman, you mustn't say the same to him."

"Certainly not," replied I; "but I can demand a court-martial."

"Yes; and it will be granted; but what do you gain by that? It's like
beating against a heavy gale and a lee tide--thousand to one if you
fetch your port; and if you do, your vessel is strained to pieces, sails
worn as thin as a newspaper, and rigging chafed half through, wanting
fresh serving: no orders for a refit, and laid up in ordinary for the
rest of your life. No, no, Mr Simple; the best plan is to grin and
bear it, and keep a sharp look-out; for depend upon it, Mr Simple, in
the best ship's company in the world, a spy captain will always find spy
followers."

"Do you refer that observation to me, Mr Swinburne?" said a voice from
under the bulwark. I started round, and found the captain, who had
crept upon deck, unperceived by us, during our conversation.

Swinburne made no reply, but touched his hat, and walked over to
l