I went off and sat down on a coil of rope, and the more I thought it
over, the more I didn't make it out.

After that I heard lively talking forward a little, and there was
Captain Clyde, the bos'n, mate, Stevey Todd, and some others arguing.

The bos'n was saying he hadn't "sworn no allegiance to no country
but the United States, an' there ain't no United States laws," he
says, "against dodging South American customs that I ever see nohow,
and being I never see a South American man that took much stock in
'em either, I ain't so uppish as to differ."

Then Stevey Todd chimed in and made a tidy argument, quoting
Scripture to prove that "actions with intent to deceive, and
deception pursuant," weren't moral, and, moreover, he says: "Shall we
lose our souls because S. A. customs is ridiculous? Tell me that!"

"Shucks!" says the mate; "we're saved by grace!"

Then Captain Clyde took it up and his argument was beautiful. For he
said S. A. customs were oppressive to the poor of that country by
wrongfully preventing them from buying U. S. goods; so that, having
sworn to the U. S., we weren't bound by S. A. laws further than
humanity or the Dago was able to enforce; "which," he says, "I argue
ain't either of 'em the case."

"That's a tart argiment, Captain Clyde," says the bos'n. "I never
heerd you make a tarter."