des us two, the principals of the fight,
and Tom Jerrold, who, blocked between Captain Gillespie and the caboose,
could not possibly manage to get away unperceived.

"Yes, there's no doubt you've been fighting," continued the captain,
looking from Weeks to me and from me to Weeks, and seeming to take
considerably more interest than either of us cared for in our bruised
knuckles and battered faces and generally dilapidated appearance; for
his long nose turned up scornfully as he sniffed and expanded his
nostrils, compressing his thin lips at the end of his inspection with an
air of decision. "Well, youngsters, I'd have you to know that I don't
allow fighting aboard my ship, and when I say a thing I mean a thing.
There!"

"But, sir," snivelled Weeks, beginning some explanation, intended no
doubt to throw all the blame on me. "Graham--"

Captain Gillespie, however, interrupted him before he could proceed any
further.

"You'd better not say anything, Weeks," said the captain. "Graham's a
new hand and you're an old one; at least, you've already been one
voyage, whilst this is his first. I see you've had a lickin' and I'm
glad of it, as I daresay it's been brought about by your own bullying;
for I know you, Master Samuel Weeks, by this time, and you can't take me
in as you used to do with your whining ways! If I didn't believe you
were pretty well starched already, I'd give you another hiding now, my
lad. Please, my good young gentleman, just to oblige me, go up in the
mizzen-top so that I can see you're there, and stop till I call you
down! As for you, Matthews, whom I have just promoted I'm surprised at
your forgetting yourself as an officer, and coming here forrud, to take
part with the crew in a disgraceful exhibition like this. I--"

"Please, sir--" expostulated the culprit. But the captain was firm on
the matter of discipline, as I came to know in time.

"You'll go aft at once, Mr Matthews," he said, waving him away with his
outstretched arm. "Another such dereliction from duty and you shall
come forrud altogether, as you appear to like the fo'c's'le so well. I
have made you third officer; but bear in mind that if I possess the
power to make, I can break too!"

It was now Tim Rooney's turn, the captain wheeling round on him as soon
as he'd done with Matthews.

"Really, bosun," he said, "I didn't think a respectable man like you
would encourage two boys to fight like that!"

"Bedad it wor ownly to p