Something had put a new spirit into the life of his majesty's ships; it
was, in a sense, the reflection of the French Revolution and Tom Paine's
Age of Reason. What the Americans had done in establishing a republic,
what France was doing by her revolution, got into the veins and minds of
some men in England, but it got into the veins and minds of the sailor
first; for, however low his origin, he had intercourse not given to the
average landsman. He visited foreign ports, he came in touch with other
elements than those of British life and character.

Of all the ships in the navy the Ariadne was the best that Dyck Calhoun
could have entered. Her officers were humane and friendly, yet firm; and
it was quite certain that if mutiny came they would be treated well. The
agitation on the Ariadne in support of the grievances of the sailors was
so moderate that, from the first, Dyck threw in his lot with it. Ferens,
the former solicitor, first came to him with a list of proposals, which
only repeated the demands made by the agitators at Spithead.

"You're new among us," said Ferens to Dyck. "You don't quite know what
we've been doing, I suppose. Some of us have been in the navy for two
years, and some for ten. There are men on this ship who could tell
you stories that would make your blood run cold--take my word for it.
There's a lot of things goin' on that oughtn't to be goin' on. The time
has come for reform. Have a look at this paper, and tell me what you
think."

Dyck looked at the pockmarked face of Ferens, whose record in the courts
was a bad one, and what he saw did not disgust him. It was as though
Ferens had stumbled and been badly hit in his fall, but there were no
signs of permanent evil in his countenance. He was square-headed,