. The man who was shot only got his deserts, and it will
serve you all right if Lord Fitz Barry reports you when he gets on
board."

This plain speaking still further enraged the rest of the boat's crew.
At the same time, unless they had been prepared to kill their young
officer and the two lads, they had no resource but to submit. They had
pulled off some little distance from the shore when they again
threatened to throw all three overboard, unless they would promise not
to report them. This Lord Fitz Barry refused to do.

"No," he said, keeping the other pistol in his hand. "It is for me to
command you. You disobeyed orders and now must take the consequences."

He reflected that if he returned and let their conduct go unpunished, it
might lead to still more serious disobedience. He, therefore, as soon
as he got on board, reported the whole affair to the commanding officer,
at the same time taking care to praise the two lads who had so bravely
stood by him. The consequence was, that the whole of the boat's crew
were brought to the gangway and severely flogged.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

The effect of the severe, though just, punishment inflicted on the
boat's crew who had misbehaved themselves under the command of Lord Fitz
Barry was to produce much ill-will among a considerable number of the
crew, increased, as before, by Higson's instigations. The officers were
not aware, however, of what was taking place. The men, although
sometimes exhibiting sulky looks when ordered about their duty,
continued to perform it as usual. The two young volunteers, it
appeared, had been better brought up than the generality of seamen.
Both, from their earliest days, had been accustomed to offer up a prayer
before turning in at night. This practice on board a man-of-war it was
very difficult, if not almost impossible, to keep up. They agreed,
however, that they would steal down when they could to the fore-part of
the orlop deck, and there, in a quiet corner near the boatswain's
store-room, they might have the opportunity of kneeling down together,
and offering up their prayers in silence. This practice they had
continued unsuspected for some time. In those days such a thing was
almost unheard of on board a man-of-war. At the present time, however,
there are not only many praying seamen on board ship, but prayer
meetings are often held, and a very considerable number of some ships'
crews are now able to join them. On one oc