captain I'd a had him triced up to the mast and the paddle a going
afore now."

"The lad never saw a ship till yesterday. Isn't it a little rough to
expect him to find his sea legs in half an hour? He was seasick to
boot."

"Sea--thunder! You never sailed with Captain Gary afore, did you?"
Rucker regarded his junior with a peculiar smile. "I thought not.
Well--I have. I'll give you a pointer. He'd rather send this ship to
the bottom any time than stand any nonsense. That's him; and I'm sort
o' built that way myself."

Duff made no response, and soon returned to his stateroom, where he
remained until his own watch was called. He was a good sailor and a
nervy sort of a man, but there was something so peculiarly devilish in
the contrast presented by Gary's slight, feminine person and his
abnormal exhibition of rage that the second mate began to doubt whether
he had done wisely in shipping with an unknown captain on an unknown
voyage for the sake of mere high wages.

He finally fell asleep until wakened by the sound of two bells being
struck, followed by the hoarse cry of:

"Starb'd watch on deck, ahoy!"




CHAPTER XIV.