to their own satisfaction, and at the next meal the storm broke
with violence.

"I don't wish to complain or hurt anybody's feelings," said the skipper,
after a side-wink at the mate, "but if you could eat your wittles with a
little less noise, George, I'd take it as a favour."

"Would you?" said the mate, as his wife stiffened suddenly in her seat.
"Oh!"

Both belligerents, eyeing each other ferociously, tried hard to think of
further insults.

"Like a pig," continued the skipper grumblingly.

The mate hesitated so long for a crushing rejoinder that his wife lost
all patience and rose to her feet crimson with wrath.

"How dare you talk to my husband like that?" she demanded fiercely.
"George, come up on deck this instant!"

"I don't mind what he says," said the mate, who had only just begun his
dinner.

"You come away at once," said his wife, pushing his plate from him.

The mate got up with a sigh, and, meeting the look of horror-stricken
commiseration in his captain's eye, returned it with one of impotent
rage.

"Use a larger knife, cap'n," he said savagely, "You'll swallow that
little 'un one of these days."

The skipper, with the weapon in question gripped in his fist, turned
round and stared at him in petrified amazement.

"If I wasn't the cap'n o' this ship, George," he said huskily, "an'
bound to set a good example to the men, I'd whop you for them words."

"It's all for your good, Captain Bunnett," said Mrs. Fillson mincingly.
"There was a poor old workhouse man I used to give a penny to some
times, who would eat with his knife, and he choked himself with it."

"Ay, he did that, and he hadn't got a mouth half the size o' yours,"
said the mate warningly.

"Cap'n or no cap'n, crew or no crew," said the skipper in a suffocating
voice, "I can't stand this. Come up on deck, George, and repeat them
words."

"Before the mate could accept the invitation, he was dragged back by his
wife, while at the same time Mrs. Bunnett, with a frantic scream, threw
her arms round her husband's neck, and dared him to move.

"You wait till I get you ashore, my lad," said the skipper
threateningly.

"I'll have to bring the ship home after I've done with you," retorted
the mate as he passed up on deck with his wife.

During the afternoon the couples exchanged not a word, though the two
husbands exchanged glances of fiery import, and later on, their spouses
being below, gradually drew near to each other. The mate