l," laughed Shuffles. "I told you Lowington was a
tyrant, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Yes, I would; and I did."

"The fellows will find out what he is before they are many days older."

"I think they have found out now, I say, Shuffles, was this the row you
spoke about last night?"

"Yes; only there's more of it than I expected."

"How did you know anything about it beforehand?"

"I have a way of finding out these things," replied the artful
conspirator, mysteriously. "I have one or two friends at court."

"Is Paul Kendall one of them?"

"No; he is a simpleton. He don't know which side his bread is buttered.
If Lowington takes snuff, Kendall sneezes."

"I have seen you talking with him two or three times to-day."

"I was only pumping him."

"Well, there is a jolly row on board now, anyhow," added Wilton, as he
prepared to descend over the cat-harpings.

"Hold on; don't let's go on deck yet," interposed Shuffles. "I want to
know what our fellows are going to do."

"They will call us down, if we stop here."

"When they do, we will go down, then," replied Shuffles, as he seated
himself in the top, with his legs through the lubber's-hole. "What are
our fellows going to do? Do they mean to stand this thing?"

"They can't help themselves; they are mad enough to do anything; but
what's the use?" added Wilton, as he seated himself by the side of his
companion.

"Don't you think they will join the League now?"

"They would join anything that would give them their rights. I'll join
now; but I don't want to be toggled in such a way as you said last
night."

"Then you can't be toggled at all."

"I haven't any idea of falling overboard accidentally. I'd rather lose
my money than do that."

"It's nothing but a form, Wilton. Between you and me, it's only a
bugbear, intended to work upon the nerves and the imagination. Of course
we shouldn't help any fellow overboard; no one would dare to do any such
thing."

"I don't like the sound of the thing."

"If you really mean to expose the secrets which are intrusted to you, I
advise you not to join."

"I don't mean any such thing," added Wilton, indignantly.

"If you didn't, you wouldn't be afraid of the penalty."

"Toggle me, then; and see what I mean."

"I don't want you to go in if you don't believe in it."

"But I do believe in it; so go ahead."

Shuffles pronounced the ridiculous obligation again, and Wilton repeated
it after him.

"Now you are