many of these men, who, he knew very well, were now only looking out for
an occasion to get the better of him. His only chance was to take the
initiative on all occasions, and to seem the most reckless and the most
careless of life, and the most eager to fight of them all. He therefore
flew at his man without hesitation on the slightest provocation, and
whenever he threatened took care to keep his word.

The constant strain upon his energy became at last like a fever in his
blood, and the life he was leading began to show itself in his face. He
had come to be reckoned on board as one of those stubborn, unruly
spirits that are common enough among the dregs of humanity to be met
with in ships' holds in that quarter of the globe, and who usually end
their career at the yard-arm, or by a bullet from the captain's
revolver. In this very ship, before they came into Rio, at the time the
Irishman had been put in irons, the captain had, without any hesitation,
shot down from the yard one of the crew, whom he supposed to be the
ringleader of the mutineers. He looked upon Salvé now with increasing
distrust, wondering how he could ever have been so mistaken in a man as
he had been in him. "But put a man to herd with rabble, and it's hard
for him not to become one of them," he said; and, deteriorated though he
was, Salvé was still the smartest sailor he had on board.

The boatswain kept out of his way now as much as possible, for he had
heard that Salvé had sworn to tear his entrails out if he gave him any
fresh cause for offence. The latter knew very well, though, that he was
meditating something against him, and was not surprised therefore at
being called aft one day to stand a formal trial before the captain for
the expression which he had used with regard to the boatswain, and which
he did not affect to deny, "as the boatswain," he said, "had wished to
take his life."