mble down
the hatchway without injuring themselves, and he was willing to believe
that the appearance was not deceitful. He had kept his eyes fixed upon
the crew as they walked round the capstan, but he was unable to
determine whether the mishap was the result of accident or intention.

Again the captain came forward; but after consulting with Paul, he
returned to the quarter-deck without making any comments. The two lambs
had reported to the first lieutenant, and the matter had gone to
Captain Shuffles, who directed the culprits to be sent to the
principal. They went into the steerage, and knocking at the door of the
main cabin, Mr. Lowington came out, and heard their statement. They
were ordered to their mess-rooms to await an investigation.

The hatchway was closed, and the order to man the capstan was given a
third time. The injured seamen had in a measure recovered the use of
their limbs, and though they still limped and squirmed, they took their
places in the line. Either their will or their ingenuity to do mischief
failed them, the third time, for the form of heaving up the anchor to a
short stay was regularly accomplished. The commodore and all the
officers in the forward part of the ship watched the operation with the
keenest scrutiny, and when it was successfully finished, they hoped the
end of all the mishaps had come.

"Pawl the capstan! Unship the bars! Stations for loosing sail!"
continued the first lieutenant. "Lay aloft, sail-loosers!"

The nimble young tars, whose places were aloft, sprang up the rigging.

"Man the boom-tricing lines!"

But the boom-tricing lines appeared to be in a snarl, and it was some
time before they were ready for use, being manipulated by some of the
mischief-makers.

"Trice up!" shouted Goodwin, the executive officer.

Up went the inner ends of the studding-sail booms.

"Lay out!" added Goodwin.

"Lay out!" repeated the midshipmen in the tops; and the seamen ran out
on the foot-ropes to their several stations for loosing sail.

At the same time, the forecastle hands were loosing the fore-topmast
staysail, jib, and flying jib, and the after-guard, or quarter-deck
hands, were clearing away the spanker.

"Loose!" said the executive officer; and the hands removed the gaskets,
stoppers, and other ropes, used to confine the sails when furled.

"Stand by--let fall!" was the next order.

At this command all the square sails should have dropped from the yards
at the same