nd
about this ship as will take it upon theirselves to start an argument to
the contrary. No, sir, I'll obey orders so long as they're sensible, but
don't try to run it on a man like me, Sackett. I ain't the sort of stuff
you're made to run against."

"Oh, Captain Andrews, you have such a dreadful way with you," piped Bell,
the third mate, in his high voice. "Don't you know you really frightened
me with such strong words."

Journegan laughed outright.

"If I have to put up with any more of your insolence, sir," said Sackett,
quietly, "I'll have you bound and put away until we are in port."

"Oh, please don't hurt me, captain," cried Andrews, with his ugly smile.
"I ain't going to do nothing mutinous."

"Well, stop talking to me, sir. Every word you say is mutinous. I'll have
silence at this table, sir, if I have to bind you up."

"Cruel, unchristian man!" cried Andrews. "Journegan, my boy, this shows
the uselessness of prayer. Here's a man praying one minute, and before
the Lord has time to answer him he's ready to commit murder. Sink me, if
ever I did see any use of praying one minute and doing things the next.
It's wrorse than my pore old father used to be. 'My son,' he'd say,
'shake out the bunt of yer breeches,' which I'd do. Yessir, sink me if I
didn't do it. 'Shake out the bunt of yer breeches and come here.' Then
he'd grab me and yank me acrost his knee. 'Lord guide a righteous hand,'
he'd say, and with that down would come that righteous hand like the roof
of a house where the bunt of my pants had been. 'Lord give me strength to
lead him into the straight and narrow path,' he'd whine; and sink me,
Journegan, if he wouldn't give me a twist that would slew my innerds
askew and send me flying acrost the room. Lead me into the straight and
narrow path? Man alive, he'd send me drifting along that path like a
bullet from a gun. What's the sense of it, hey?"

"There ain't none," said Journegan, snickering and rubbing his whiskers
in appreciation of his friend's wit.

"Mr. Journegan," said Sackett, "you go on deck, sir."

"What am I doing?" asked the fellow, with a smirk.

"You go on deck, sir, or I'll be forced to take some action in the matter
of discipline. Do you understand?" continued Sackett, now red in the face
with anger.

Journegan rose leisurely from the table and went up the companion,
whistling.

"And now, my young man," continued Sackett, addressing the third mate, "I
don't want to have to ti