ar that? Now, look here, you listen to me.
Either you've been drinking, or else your 'ead's gone a little bit
off. You go down and turn in, and if you don't give me any more of your
nonsense I'll overlook it for this once."

He ordered the crew forward again, and being desirous of leaving some
permanent mark of his command on the ship, had the galley fresh painted
in red and blue, and a lot of old stores, which he had vainly condemned
when mate, thrown overboard. The skipper stood by helplessly while it
was done, and then went below of his own accord and turned in, as being
the only way to retain his sanity, or, at any rate, the clearness of
head which he felt to be indispensable at this juncture.

Time, instead of restoring the mate to his senses, only appeared to
confirm him in his folly, and the skipper, after another attempt
to convince him, let things drift, resolving to have him put under
restraint as soon as they got to port.

They reached Tidescroft in the early afternoon, but before they entered
the harbour the mate, as though he had had some subtle intuition that
this would be his last command, called the crew to him and read them a
touching little homily upon their behaviour when they should land.
He warned them of public-houses and other dangers, and reminded them
affectingly of their duties as husbands and fathers. "Always go home to
your wife and children, my lads," he continued with some emotion, "as I
go home to mine."

"Why, he ain't got none," whispered Bill, staring.

"Don't be a fool, Bill," said the cook, "he means the cap'n's. Don't you
see he's the cap'n now."

It was as clear as noonday, and the agitation of the skipper--a perfect
Othello in his way--was awful. He paced the deck incessantly, casting
fretful glances ashore, and, as the schooner touched the side of the
quay, sprang on to the bulwarks and jumped ashore. The mate watched him
with an ill-concealed grin, and then, having made the vessel snug, went
below to strengthen himself with a drop of the skipper's whisky for the
crowning scene of his play. He came on deck again, and, taking no heed
of the whispers of the crew, went ashore.

Meantime, Captain Bradd had reached his house, and was discussing the
situation with his astonished spouse. She pooh-poohed the idea of the
police and the medical faculty as being likely to cause complications
with the owners, and, despite the remonstrances of her husband, insisted
upon facing the mate