passing so near him. With his arms folded on his breast, and his eyes
fastened on the placid sea, he stood motionless as the mast near which he
had placed his person. Long accustomed to the noise of scenes similar to
the one he had himself provoked, he heard, in the confused sounds which
rose unheeded on his ear, no more than the commotion which ordinarily
attended the license of the hour.

His subordinates in command, however, were far more active. Wilder had
already beaten back the boldest of the seamen, and a space was cleared
between the hostile parties, into which his assistants threw themselves,
with the haste of men who knew how much was required at their hands. This
momentary success might have been pushed too far; for, believing that the
spirit of mutiny was subdued, our adventurer was proceeding to improve his
advantage by seizing the most audacious of the offenders when his prisoner
was immediately torn from his grasp by twenty of his confederates.

"Who's this, that sets himself up for a Commodore aboard the 'Dolphin!'"
exclaimed a voice in the crowd, at a most unhappy moment for the authority
of the new lieutenant. "In what fashion did he come, aboard us? or, in
what service did he learn his trade?"

"Ay, ay," continued another sinister voice, "where is the Bristol trader
he was to lead into our net, and for which we lost so many of the best
days in the season, at a lazy anchor?"

Then broke forth a general and simultaneous murmur which, had such
testimony been wanting, would in itself have manifested that the unknown
officer was scarcely more fortunate in his present than in his recent
service. Both parties united in condemning his interference; and from both
sides were heard scornful opinions of his origin, mingled with certain
fierce denunciations against his person. Nothing daunted by such palpable
evidences of the danger of his situation, our adventurer answered to their
taunts with the most scornful smiles, challenging a single individual of
them all to dare to step forth, and maintain his words by suitable
actions.

"Hear him!" exclaimed his auditors.--"He speaks like a King's officer in
chase of a smuggler!" cried one.--"Ay, he's a bold'un in a calm," said a
second.--"He's a Jonah, that has slipp'd into the cabin windows!" cried a
third; "and, while he stays in the 'Dolphin,' luck will keep upon our
weather-beam"--"Into the sea with him! overboard with the upstart! into
the sea with him! where