oys, why don't you pull?" roared Clyde, who was blest with a
pair of hearty lungs.

"Silence, Blacklock! You mustn't hollo like that when you are on
duty," interposed De Forrest.

"Who says I mustn't?" demanded Clyde, dropping his hold upon the
brace, and walking up to the officer who had dared to give him these
words of counsel, which were uttered in a mild and pleading tone,
rather than in those of authority.

"Starboard the helm," said the executive officer.

"Starboard, sir," repeated the quartermaster at the wheel.

"Walk away with that main brace!" added the first lieutenant.

The main brace men, finding that Clyde was at issue with the fourth
lieutenant, applied themselves to their work, and the main yard swung
round.

"Steady!" said the executive officer.

"Steady, sir."

"Avast hauling! Belay, all."

By these manoeuvres the ship had been kept away, and was now headed
directly up the fjord.

"I don't allow any fellow to speak to me like that," blustered Clyde.
"I want you to understand that I am a gentleman."

"Go forward, Blacklock, and don't make a row on the quarter-deck,"
replied De Forrest, mildly.

"I'll not go forward!"

"Then I must report you to the first lieutenant."

"I'm willing to do my work, but I won't be fagged by any nob in gold
lace."

"You are making a mistake, Blacklock," said De Forrest, in a low
tone, as he walked towards the angry Briton, with the intention of
reasoning with him upon the absurdity of his conduct.

Mr. Lowington had cautioned him and other officers to be very prudent
in dealing with the new student till he had become accustomed to his
duty, and certainly De Forrest was prudent in the extreme. Perhaps
Clyde misunderstood the purpose of this officer when approaching him,
and suspected that he intended to use violence, for, drawing back, he
made a pass at De Forrest with his fist. But the latter detected the
nature of the demonstration in season to ward off the blow, and, still
in the exercise of the extreme prudence which had before characterized
his conduct, retreated to the other side of the quarter-deck.

"Enough of that," said Judson, the first lieutenant, as he stepped
between Clyde and De Forrest.

Clyde was very angry. Though he had made up his mind to perform his
duty in the beginning, he fancied that no one had the right to command
him to be silent. In his wrath he pulled off his blue jacket, tossed
it upon the deck with a flourish, and inti