ree
months, at any rate; and that while the burden of the fun is going on.
If we were going to lie in harbor, or cruise along the coast, I would go
in for my old place."

"But Carnes is out of the way now, and your chance is better this year
than it was last," suggested Monroe.

"I know that, but I can't think of straining every nerve for three
months, two of them while we are going from port to port in Europe. When
we go ashore at Queenstown, I shall have to wear a short jacket, instead
of the frock coat of an officer; and I think the jacket would look
better on some younger fellow."

"What are you going to do, Shuffles?" asked Wilton.

"I'd rather be a king among hogs, than a hog among kings."

"What do you mean by that?"

"No matter; there's time enough to talk over these things."

"Do you mean a mutiny?" laughed Wilton.

"Haven't you forgotten that?"

"No."

"I wonder what Lowington would say, if he knew I had proposed such a
thing," added Shuffles, thoughtfully.

"He did know it, at the time you captured the runaways, for I told him."

"Did you?" demanded Shuffles, his brow contracting with anger.

"I told you I would tell him, and I did," answered Wilton. "You were a
traitor to our fellows, and got us into a scrape."

"I was an officer then."

"No matter for that. Do you suppose, if I were an officer, I would
throw myself in your way when you were up to anything?"

"I don't know whether you would or not; but I wouldn't blow on you, if
you had told me anything in confidence. What did Lowington say?"

"Nothing; he wouldn't take any notice of what I said."

"That was sensible on his part. One thing is certain, Wilton: you can't
be trusted."

"You mustn't make me mad, then."

"I will keep things to myself hereafter," growled Shuffles.

"Don't be savage. You served me a mean trick, and I paid you off for it;
so we are square."

"We will keep square then, and not open any new accounts."

"But you will want me when anything is up," laughed Wilton. "What would
you do without me in getting up a mutiny?"

"Who said anything about a mutiny?"

"I know you are thinking over something, and you don't mean to submit to
the discipline of the ship, if you can help it."

"Well, I can't help it."

"There goes the boatswain's whistle, piping to muster," said Monroe.

"Confound the boatswain's whistle!" growled Shuffles. "I don't like the
idea of running every time he pipes."

Very much to the surp