level with the bridge, and at the same time to
make the mast conceal him from the eyes of Mr. Lillyworth and the
scullion. The latter pretended to be at work, and occasionally the
second lieutenant "jawed" at him for his clumsiness in lacing the
sailcloth. Between these growls, they spoke together in a low tone, but
Dave was near enough to hear what they said. Though he had never heard
the voice of Pink Mulgrum before, he knew that of the second lieutenant,
and he was in no danger of confounding the two. Pink used excellent
language, as the steward was capable of judging, and it was plain enough
that he was not what he had appeared to be.

[Illustration: Lillyworth and Mulgrum on the bridge.]

CHAPTER VII

AN INTERVIEW ON THE BRIDGE

Although Mr. Lillyworth knew very well that Pink Mulgrum was deaf and
dumb, he "jawed" at him as though his hearing was as perfect as his own,
doubtless forgetting for the moment his infirmity.

"Draw up the bight, and lace it tighter," exclaimed the second
lieutenant, intermixing an expletive at each end of the sentence. "Oh,
you can't hear me!" he shouted, as though the fact that the scullion
could not hear him had suddenly come to his mind. "Well, it is a nice
thing to talk to a deaf man!"

Dave could see that Mulgrum also seemed to forget that his ears were
closed to all sounds, for he redoubled his efforts to haul the screen
into its place.

"I could not hear anything that was of any consequence," the steward
heard the deaf mute say in a lower tone than his companion used.

"Couldn't you hear anything?" asked Mr. Lillyworth, making a spring
at the canvas as though he was disgusted with the operations of his
companion on the bridge.

"Only what I have just told you," replied Mulgrum.

"But you were at the door when the captain and the first lieutenant were
talking together in the cabin," continued the officer in a low tone.

"But they were talking about me, as I told you before," answered the
scullion, rather impatiently, as though he too had a mind of his own.

"Wasn't anything said about the operations of the future?" demanded Mr.
Lillyworth.

"Not a word; but you know as well as I do that the captain has sealed
orders which he will not see before to-morrow. I heard him tell his
father that he was to open the envelope in latitude 38," said the
supernumerary.

"You must contrive some way to hear the captain when he reads his
orders," continued the second li