hat, although he was the son of a marquis, the boatswain
was his superior officer in the service, and that he should be guilty of
insubordination should he continue the dispute. He walked away,
therefore, with feelings more embittered than ever against Dick
Hargrave. Soon afterwards, meeting Voules, he told him what had
occurred.

"I don't know what will become of the discipline of the ship, if the
warrant officers venture to interfere in the way old Bitts has done,"
observed Voules. "We must pay him off some day; but as to that fellow
Hargrave, he is beneath your notice. I wish that we could have got him
as our mess boy; we would soon have tamed his spirit. However, I won't
let slip any opportunity of punishing him as he deserves."

Voules was as good as his word, every time the opportunity occurred,
though he took very good care that Mr Bitts should not see him
ill-treating Dick. He told Lord Reginald what he had done, apparently
taking a pleasure in nourishing the resentment the young lord felt
against the farmer's son. It was but natural that Dick himself should
feel ill-will towards his persecutors. He did not complain to Mr
Bitts, of whom he stood not a little in awe, but he frequently did so to
Ben Rudall, who ground his teeth and clenched his fists as he listened.

"We'll pay the chaps off one of these days," he muttered. "You've heard
tell, Dick, of the mutiny at the Nore, when the men rose and took the
whole fleet from their officers, and would not give in until the
Admiralty granted their terms. To be sure, a few of them were run up to
the yardarm, but the men won't stand bullying now any more than they did
in those days. If officers don't know how to behave themselves they
must be taught. I wouldn't advise you to give the young lord tit for
tat, or turn round when he next hits you, and use the rope's end on his
back, but I should be wonderfully inclined to try it on, and let them
hang me afterwards if they like."

Dick listened eagerly to what Ben said--the advice was too much in
accordance with his own feelings.

Voules had spoken of him to the first lieutenant and to some other
officers, and described him as a young ruffian who had been leagued with
smugglers, and was now the associate of men of the worst character on
board.

Dick was accordingly strictly, if not harshly treated, and though he had
at first been well-disposed to do his duty, he became every day more and
more discontented,