Naval Occasions, and Some Traits of the Sailor-man

sent the imperious summons echoing along the upper deck. Clattering forward along the battery he halted at the break of the forecastle and repeated the b

sailor-men, that the Captain's judgment at the defaulter-table is duly swayed by the personal appearance of the delinquent. Eyeing his inverted reflection in the big concave mirror, he screwed his face into an expression of piteous appeal, and, cap in hand, repeated several

e, I am," explained th

s up,

t retrospection. "'Strewth!" he supplemented. "Wasn't 'arf blind, neither," imply

as the "steady double." Together they saluted and stepped on to the quarter-deck, where, already standing between his escort, a sullen-eyed deserter, captured the previous day, scowled into vacancy. The new-comers took their plac

y, Master

The breeze led the shadow of the White Ensign a fantastic dance across the spotless planking, and rustled the papers on the baize-covered table. Overhead a gull soared, screaming at intervals, and then swooped suddenly to the water. The owner of the cherished curl, who was what is technically known in the Service as a "bird," sucked his teeth thoughtfully

nking about trout-fishing, came to earth with a start: the waiting group stiffened to

aster-at-Arms. "Off cap. Absenov

Service, and the Adam's-apple in his throat worked like a piston. Sudde

e Service?" asked the Captain, gr

, sir," repl

gued slut ashore kept him too drunk to return till he was penniless. But what was the use of telling all that to a Being with four gold rings on his sleev

nted an answer but meant to have one. Rather a kind voice for a Captain. Queer little wrinkles he had round the corners of his

words came the sorry explanation, sordid, incoherent, clothed in half-learned patois of the lower deck. B

d," he sa

eled before the table. The Commander made a brief report, an

ing to

, s

d you d

up with t

ere had been moments in his own career when he too had been "fed up wit

worked hard and cleanly little to his taste. The immaculate cleanliness and clock-work regularity around him were bad enough, but far worse was the discipline. It astonished him at first; then, half-awed, he hated it with al

ully appointed task. He had meant to drop a fire-bar on O'Leary's head for that, but hadn't the courage requisite for murder. Because of his dirty habits and an innate habit for acquiring other men's gear, he was not beloved of his messmates; and to be unpopular on the

ieve we'll make a man of you yet

swung him o

the charge-sheet and thence t

e drunk

, s

d the Officer of the Watch and th

. "I 'adn't 'ad no more'

," interrupted the Captain

" echoed the Master-at-Arms. "Ho

*

in a conservatory conducting himself in a manner calculated to reduce his ship's company-had they been present-to babbling delirium. In the twilight, the Captain's Clerk, with rod and fly-book, meandered beside a stream twenty miles away. The Master-at-Arms,

ice was an exceeding bitterness

bout the same time, so you see the d