decline obeying the order.

"He now commands the ship, and as long as he does not direct me to do
anything which will injure any one, I am bound, I consider, to obey,"
answered Owen. "It is not pleasant, but I do not thus really disgrace
myself."

Owen had been accustomed to take an observation with the captain and
mates. As soon as he appeared, Mr Scoones ordered him off the poop,
exclaiming, in an angry tone--

"We don't want any boys fresh from school here with their new-fangled
notions. If I see that sextant again I will break it to pieces. The
mates and I can look after the navigation of the ship, I expect, without
your assistance."

Owen went below and stowed away his sextant, which was one given him by
Captain Aggett, and which he highly prized. The other officers were
indignant at the way in which Owen was treated, and no one was more so
than Nat Midge. He almost cried with rage when Owen came below and told
him what had occurred.

"I don't care for what he says," observed Owen, "but I am vexed at not
being allowed to improve myself in navigation. I hope that we may get a
new captain when we reach Batavia."

"I am sure so do I," said Nat. "If it were not for you, I'd run from
the ship. I should not like to leave you, and I wish you would come
with me."

Owen laughed. "I do not think we should improve matters by that," he
said. "It would only be like falling out of the frying pan into the
fire."

"I could not be worse off than I am on board this ship, for I have led a
dog's life ever since our kind captain died," answered Nat. "It was bad
enough before, but I have been far worse treated since by the first mate
and some of the men."

Owen endeavoured to comfort Nat. "When things get to the worst they are
sure to change for the better," he remarked. He ultimately persuaded
Nat to bear patiently any ill-treatment he might receive.

Several days passed by without any event of importance occurring, Owen
all the time performing sailor boy's duty. The second and third mates'
observations did not agree with those of the new commander, who,
insisting that he was right, would not attend to theirs, but kept the
ship on the course he had marked out. The weather had been tolerably
fine since the first gale, but signs of a change now appeared. Mr
Scoones, however, declared that the wind would not be down upon them for
some hours to come, and kept all the canvas standing as before.
Suddenly the wi