surprise and indignation of everybody, officers as
well as men, the whole of the poor fellows who had steered the ship
during the unlucky chase of the preceding day were ordered to receive
three dozen apiece, "for culpable negligence in the performance of their
duty," Captain Pigot choosing to assert that, had the ship been properly
steered, we should have overtaken and brought the French frigate to
action. Now the manner in which the _Hermione's_ helm had been
manipulated on the occasion in question had excited the admiration of,
and extorted frequent favourable comments from the officers; there was a
stiff breeze blowing at the time; and the frigate, when heavily pressed
upon a taut bowline, had a most unhandy knack of griping;
notwithstanding which, as I have before stated, her wake had been as
straight as though ruled upon the water. But Captain Pigot was bitterly
chagrined at his want of success--quite unreasonably, for he and
everybody else had done all that was possible to secure it--and he could
not rest until he had vented his ill-humour upon some of the
unfortunates placed in his power. Hence the cruel and unjust order; the
issuing of which very nearly ended in results most disastrous, so far as
I was personally concerned.

For, when the first man of the unfortunate batch had stripped and was
seized up, seeing that the skipper actually intended to carry out his
monstrous resolve--a fact which, until that moment, I had doubted--
forgetting for the time everything but the cruelty and injustice of the
action, I sprang forward and placing myself immediately in front of our
frowning chief, exclaimed:

"No, no; do not do it, sir! I assure you that you are mistaken. The
men do not deserve it, sir; they did their utmost, I am sure; indeed I
heard Mr Reid remark to Mr Douglas that he had _never_ seen the ship
so beautifully steered before. Didn't you, sir?" I continued,
appealing to the first lieutenant.

"Young gentleman, you have placed me in a very awkward position,"
replied poor old David, turning to me, very red in the face; "but I'll
not deny it; I _did_ say so, and I meant it, too."

Captain Pigot turned absolutely livid with fury; he was white even to
the lips; his eyes literally blazed like those of a savage animal about
to spring upon its prey; his hands were tightly clenched; and, for a
moment, I felt that he would strike me. He did not, however; possibly
even at that moment some instinct may ha