Turner picked up a bottle from the table, and made the same
incoordinate pass with it at the captain as he had at me the morning
before with his magazine. The captain did not move. He was a big
man, and he folded his arms with their hairy wrists across his chest.

"Mr. Turner," he said, "while we are on the sea I am in command here.
You know that well enough. You are drunk to-night; in the morning
you will be sober; and I want you to remember what I am going to say.
If you interfere again--with--me--or--my officers--I--shall--
put--you--in--irons."

He started for the after companionway, and Burns and I hurried
forward out of his way, Burns to the lookout, I to make the round
of the after house and bring up, safe from detection, by the wheel
again. The mate was in a chair, looking sick and dazed, and Turner
and Vail were confronting each other.

"You know that is a lie," Vail was saying. "She is faithful to you,
as far as I know, although I'm damned if I know why." He turned to
the mate roughly: "Better get out in the air."

Once again I left my window to avoid discovery. The mate, walking
slowly, made his way up the companionway to the rail. The man at
the wheel reported in the forecastle, when he came down at the end
of his watch, that Singleton had seemed dazed, and had stood leaning
against the rail for some time, occasionally cursing to himself;
that the second mate had come on deck, and had sent him to bed; and
that the captain was shut in his cabin with the light going.

There was much discussion of the incident among the crew. Sympathy