Frank Nelson in the Forecastle

rning that if you don't behave yourselves yo

r irons. The officer did not look much as he did the last time Frank saw him. He wore a handkerchief about his head and over his left eye, but it did n

ifle, they would now have been in the same predicament as himself; and according to Frank's way of thinking that would have been a calamity indeed. He expected to suffer-his mind was fully made up to that,-but he was strong and healthy and better able to endure hardship than any of the young friends he had left on board the Stranger. He had no fears for Dick Lewis. The trapper was as tough as a pine knot-nothing seemed to make any impression on him-and if he could only be induced to keep his temper under contr

onsul for a moment-but he would not know which way to turn to find the Stranger, and so would have nothing left him but to make the best of his way back to Lawrence. That would be a great disappointment to him. He had anticipated much pleasure from his visit to foreign countries, and it was hard to[144] abandon the voyage, just as his expectations were about to be realized, and go back to the monotonous, hum-drum routine

aged in setting things to rights. The third mate, who met him as he came up, put him to work with the rest, and for the next hour Frank was kept so busy that he did not have

1

his side. (The "sir" came out almost involuntarily, as if the man instin

ll, broad-shouldered man in buc

sir, he

e! W

be found alow nor aloft. He

ot!" said Fr

er or later. I'll not stay aboard here much longer, unless th

k. "It won't pay. But what made this man

knew there was a rumpus; the cap'n and two of the mates were laid

far fro

three or f

. Dick is safe. He can s

two men go overboard since I've been on this craft, and if I wa

old on board the Stranger. Frank drew a long breath, and fro

crew lounged about the windlass.[147] But there was none of that story-telling in which the crew of the Stranger engaged on such occasions, to make the time hang less heavily on their hands. The men sat sullen and silent, and as they were no company for Frank, he strolled aft to make an inspection of the craft which was likely to be his home for long weeks an

h a[148] swimmer as he knew the trapper to be, and besides there were vessels constantly passing in and out of the harbor, so that on a calm night like that he had only to call for help to get it. The trapper had learned enough from the three men in the forecastle, if he could only remember it, to put Uncle Dick Gaylord on the track of the Tycoon, and perhaps matters might not turn ou

ng come to his senses, was sitting up and staring about him in great bewilderment. The old-sea dog did not know where he was,[149] but he quickly became aware that he

exclaimed; "and how long

they learned that he had been all through the late war, and that he had, by his own unaided efforts, worked his way from the forecastle to the quarter-deck, and falling into

about the deck of the whaler, and some faint suspicions seemed

1

demanded the first mate, w

o Cap'n Nelson, s

e is he?" asked

he stan

urprised, "and hereafter bear in mind that there is only one captain aboard t

a lubberly go, cap'n," he added in a low

le and all others when you speak to me. Just recollect that I occupy a lower po

happened us?"[151] asked the boatsw

his ship is

striking his open palm with his

you came here. Per

sir," said Lucas,

scuttle-butt either, did you? Pure water

ailor was greatly distressed to know that it was through him that Frank had been brought into trouble. He offered to make amends by jumping overboard, and

1

at once, for he wore the same clothes he had on when he passed the Stranger in the whale-boat. He proved to be quite as brutal as he looked, and a constitutional grumbler. He found fault with everything. Nothing could be done to suit him. He swore at the officers, and they in turn swore at the men, and struck right and left with whatever came first to their hands-that is, the firs

. There proved to be enough to man two boats, leaving a sufficient number of the crew on board to act as ship-keepers. Frank and Lucas were assigned to the captain's boat, the former being seated at the bow oar. This was a position of responsibili

at him for his awkwardness, and took him to task for answering "Very good, sir!" in response to an order, when he should have said "Ay, ay, sir!" An officer in the navy is required to answer "Very good, sir," when receiving a command f

d been hoisted at the davits, the falls laid down in Flemish coil

eman in the blac

a gentleman and he wore a suit of black clothes-he was the only one on b

1

k he removed his hat and waited

e, do you?" exclaimed

is Nels

e to call you G

Frank, who knew that he wa

the deck like a soger as you are. Carry it until you learn not to say 'very good' to me. What busin

significance in this punishment, but the sailors did, and the boatswain's mate and the coxswain (the latter had recovered his senses and gone to work wit

on deck, and was obliged to wipe it up and carry a swab about the vessel until he saw some one else doing the same thing. He might have carried that swab all day, had not Archie taken pity on

ain on deck four hours longer, or until the watch to which he belonged was ordered below. It was pretty hard, Frank told himself, and provoking, too, to find somebody ready to make sport of him, as one of the sailors in his watch did when he went forward. It was the "black sheep" of the crew-the same one who pointed out the trapper's supposed hiding-place in the bow-boat. His name was Gardene

the watch were gathered, "how do you like the taste you have had of the Tycoon's dis

bearer besides, Calamity, and any more such language as that will breed a row that'll have to

k out of sight immediately, and in a few mi