to say, he allowed him to throw his
money away on nobody more worthless than himself.

One morning Jack went down in the berth, and found young Gossett
blubbering.

"What's the matter, my dear Mr Gossett?" inquired Jack, who was just as
polite to the youngster as he was to anybody else.

"Vigors has been thrashing me with a rope's end," replied Gossett,
rubbing his arm and shoulders.

"What for?" inquired Jack.

"Because he says the service is going to hell--(I'm sure it's no fault
of mine)--and that now all subordination is destroyed, and that upstarts
join the ship who, because they have a five-pound note in their pocket,
are allowed to do just as they please. He said he was determined to
uphold the service, and then he knocked me down--and when I got up again
he told me that I could stand a little more--and then he took out his
colt, and said he was determined to ride the high horse--and that there
should be no Equality Jack in future."

"Well," replied Jack.

"And then he colted me for half an hour, and that's all."

"By de soul of my fader, but it all for true, Massa Easy--he larrap, um,
sure enough--all for noteing, bad luck to him--I tink," continued Mesty,
"he hab debelish bad memory--and he want a little more of Equality
Jack."

"And he shall have it too," replied our hero; "why, it's against the
articles of war, `all quarrelling, fighting, etc.' I say, Mr Gossett,
have you got the spirit of a louse?"

"Yes," replied Gossett.

"Well, then, will you do what I tell you next time, and trust to me for
protection?"

"I don't care what I do," replied the boy, "if you will back me against
the cowardly tyrant."

"Do you refer to me?" cried Vigors, who had stopped at the door of the
berth.

"Say yes," said Jack.

"Yes, I do," cried Gossett.

"You do, do you?--well then, my chick, I must trouble you with a little
more of this," said Vigors, drawing out his colt.

"I think that you had better not, Mr Vigors," observed Jack.

"Mind your own business, if you please," returned Vigors, not much
liking the interference. "I am not addressing my conversation to you,
and I will thank you never to interfere with me. I presume I have a
right to choose my own acquaintance, and, depend upon it, it will not be
that of a leveller."

"All that is at your pleasure, Mr Vigors," replied Jack, "you have a
right to choose your own acquaintance, and so have I a right to choose
my own friends, and further, to su