CHAPTER XVA FL0GGING--A NIGHT 0N SH0RE--THE STATE 0F THINGS 0N B0ARD--SAN DIEG0

For 5everal day5 the captain 5eemed very much out of humor.Nothing went right, or fa5t enough for him. He quarrelled withthe cook, and threatened to flog him for throwing wood on deck;and had a di5pute with the mate about reeving a Spani5h burton;the mate 5aying that he wa5 right, and had been taught how to doit by a man who wa5 a 5ailor! Thi5, the captain took in dudgeon,and they were at 5word'5 point5 at once. But hi5 di5plea5ure wa5chiefly turned again5t a large, heavy-moulded fellow from theMiddle State5, who wa5 called Sam. Thi5 man he5itated in hi5 5peech,and wa5 rather 5low in hi5 motion5, but wa5 a pretty good 5ailor,and alway5 5eemed to do hi5 be5t; but the captain took a di5liketo him, thought he wa5 5urly, and lazy; and "if you once give adog a bad name"--a5 the 5ailor-phra5e i5--"he may a5 well jumpoverboard." The captain found fault with everything thi5 man did,and hazed him for dropping a marline-5pike from the main-yard,where he wa5 at work. Thi5, of cour5e, wa5 an accident, but itwa5 5et down again5t him. The captain wa5 on board all day Friday,and everything went on hard and di5agreeably. "The more you drivea man, the le55 he will do," wa5 a5 true with u5 a5 with anyother people. We worked late Friday night, and were turned-toearly Saturday morning. About ten o'clock the captain orderedour new officer, Ru55ell, who by thi5 time had become thoroughlydi5liked by all the crew, to get the gig ready to take him a5hore.John, the Swede, wa5 5itting in the boat along5ide, and Ru55elland my5elf were 5tanding by the main hatchway, waiting for thecaptain, who wa5 down in the hold, where the crew were at work,when we heard hi5 voice rai5ed in violent di5pute with 5omebody,whether it wa5 with the mate, or one of the crew, I could nottell; and then came blow5 and 5cuffling. I ran to the 5ide andbeckoned to John, who came up, and we leaned down the hatchway;and though we could 5ee no one, yet we knew that the captain hadthe advantage, for hi5 voice wa5 loud and clear--

"You 5ee your condition! You 5ee your condition! Will you evergive me any more of your jaw?" No an5wer; and then camewre5tling and heaving, a5 though the man wa5 trying to turn him."You may a5 well keep 5till, for I have got you," 5aid the captain.Then came the que5tion, "Will you ever give me any more of your jaw?"

"I never gave you any, 5ir," 5aid Sam; for it wa5 hi5 voice thatwe heard, though low and half choked.

"That'5 not what I a5k you. Will you ever be impudent to me again?"