Now it so fell out that our first supercargo, Gilles Miebas Van Luck,
bore me a grudge, although I could recall no act on my part upon which
to attribute it, unless it be that I had gained the favour of the
captain, of which I could see Van Luck was jealous. From the first Van
Luck made no secret of his dislike of me, and more than once he
complained to Hartog that by reason of my youth; I being at the time of
sailing but nineteen years old, it would be more seemly if I took my
meals with the men in the forecastle instead of in the cabin. But
Hartog had overruled his objections. As his secretary he maintained I
was entitled to berth with the officers, and after my rescue from the
inhospitable shores of Terra Australis I continued to occupy my former
place at the captain's table, although I would as lief have messed with
the men sooner than have been the cause of a quarrel.

At length matters came to a climax, when Van Luck ordered me to set
about some menial work which I did not consider compatible with my
position as the captain's secretary, and which, therefore, I declined
to perform. In his rage at my refusal Van Luck came at me with a
belaying pin in his hand, but I had fought many a battle with the
fisher lads upon the sands at Urk, and was well able to take my own
part, so that when Van Luck was almost upon me I nimbly stepped aside,
and with a trick I had been taught by an old smuggler at Urk, I tripped
him as he passed so that he fell into the scuppers, when, with a
muttered oath, he scrambled to his feet, and, plucking a pistol from
his belt, he would have shot me had not Hartog at this moment appeared
on deck, and commanded him to throw down his arms.

"How now," said Hartog, "am I captain of this ship or not? What means
this mutiny? Come both of you to my cabin that I may hear the case and
see justice done."