and chief of the little community, is
entitled to the first place on the list.

He was a tall, handsome man, in the very prime of life, being about
thirty-five or forty years of age. His features were finely moulded,
the lines about the firmly closed mouth indicating great decision and
fixity of purpose, while the clear steadfast grey eyes beamed forth an
assurance of the kindly and genial disposition of their owner. Light
auburn hair, in short-cut but thickly clustering curls, crowned his
shapely head, and a closely cut beard and moustache shaded the lower
part of his deeply bronzed face. For the rest, his broad massive
shoulders indicated unmistakably the possession of great strength;
whilst his waist, slim almost as that of a woman, his lean muscular
lower limbs, and his quick springy step, told of great bodily activity.
His disposition was exactly what one would, from a study of his
externals, judge it to be--frank, generous, genial, kindly, and
sympathetic to his friends, but a fearless and formidable foe to any who
might be so ill-advised as to constitute themselves his enemies.

Mr Bowles, the first mate--or "chief officer" as he preferred rather to
be termed, thinking this title sounded more dignified than the other--
was a big, burly, loud-voiced individual; a thorough seaman, a strict
disciplinarian, and possessed of a general disposition to "stand no
nonsense" from _anybody_, but particularly from the seamen, who, as a
class, were regarded by him with an eye of great suspicion. He was,
however, scrupulously just and straightforward in his dealings with all
men, and, if a seaman proved himself to be capable and willing, he had
nothing to fear from "Bill Bowles," as this individual was in his more
genial moods wont to style himself; if, however, on the other hand, a
man proved lazy, or incapable of executing the duties he had undertaken
to perform, let him "look out for squalls."

The second mate was in every way a marked contrast to the "chief." He
was a tall thin sallow-complexioned man, with straight black hair, thick
eyebrows, and thin feeble-looking whiskers, the latter very lank and
ragged, as he seemed never to trim them. His eyes were believed to be
black, but no one seemed to be at all certain about this, as he would
never look any man long enough in the face to allow the question to be
decided. His glances were of a shifting stealthy description, and his
face habitually wore a morose dissatis