two hundred tons, lay just now a short cable's length from the parent
ship, with sails bent and all ready for sea; for by custom the annual
cruise started on the day next after the prize-giving.

The question was: Would Link Andrew be allowed to go?

He would have sold his soul to go. He even meditated ways of
suicide if the Commander, for a punishment, should veto his going.
During the last three weeks he had run up an appalling tally of black
marks, and yet it was generally agreed that the Commander would
relent if Link would only keep his temper and behave with common
prudence for another twenty-four hours.

But this was just what Link seemed wholly unable to do. He hated the
ship, the officers, everything in life; and the hot July weather
worked upon this hatred until it became a possessing fury.



III.

At dinner-time he very nearly wrecked his chance for good and all.

Shortly before noon a diminutive, mild-looking gentleman, noticeable
for his childlike manner and a pair of large round spectacles, came
alongside the _Egeria_ in a shore-boat. It appeared that he bore a
visitor's ticket for the afternoon function and had arrived thus
early by invitation of one of the Committee to take a good look over
the ship before the proceedings began. Apparently, too, the
Committee-man had sent Commander Headworthy no warning--to judge from