was to say, "Young fella, did you ship for a opera singer or wot?"

"I shipped for what you'll find my name signed against in the articles,
and I'm on the job every minute. And I'll go on singing if it pleases
me. And if it pleases me, I'll finish that song, too."

"Not on this ship, you won't, 'less you sing it in your sleep and me not
in hearin'."

"I'll finish it on this ship, son. And it won't be in my sleep and
you'll be within hearing."

A group of deck-hands snickered, and the boson pretended to climb down
from the rigging. "You swine! What the--"

They retreated in terror. "It wasn't at you we was laffin', boson."

"Well, see that yer don't, yer cross-eyed whelps--see that yer don't."

"And do you mean to say, you collection of squashes, that you were
laughing at me?" The pump-man, still grasping a wrench in each hand,
started across the deck after them. "D'y' mean to--"

Down the gangway they retreated in a body. Noyes looked to the captain,
but the captain was looking out over the ship's side.

Noyes went down to luncheon, and after luncheon took his cigar and his
book to his room. When next he came out, he felt that something had
happened since the little adventure of the falling block. The captain
was pacing the bridge by fits and starts. The boson was leaning over the