etter march your men back aboard your
schooner, or brig, or whatever you call it, before they get falling out
with my fellows. You see yon men's sailors like yours are, and my
fellows may get upset by your chaps, for I always find that British
sailors get a bit sarcy and quarrelsome when they come ashore, and no
matter how quiet and patient the Aymurricans, they lay themselves out
for a fight."

"As in the present case, sir," said the lieutenant sarcastically.

"Jes' so, squire. So now you take my advice and march your chaps back
again. You see how the land lies, and as I've said afore, I don't want
to ride rusty over your skipper. You've on'y got to send word ashore as
you wants fresh provisions and water, and say as you're ready to make a
fair swap with a few things as we want, and there you are."

The lieutenant stood frowning in silence, turning his eyes from the
American to the feeble-looking planter, and from him to the two middies
and his men, in each case finding that he was being watched eagerly,
every eye seeming to ask the same question--what are you going to do?--
while on his part he felt the impossibility of responding.

For the responsibility he felt was almost maddening. It was plain
enough that his men called upon him to resent the American planter's
insolence, and that if he did not do so at once, not only would the two
lads and his men look upon his behaviour as cowardly and degrading to
the British _prestige_, but the Yankee and his faintly seen scum of
followers would treat the whole party with contempt.

It was a painful position, for the Yankee had plainly shown him the
risks he ran. He would not have hesitated for a moment, in spite of the
display of armed men ready to attack, for if he had felt free to act he
would have chanced everything, depending as he felt he could upon his
little party of thoroughly well-drilled able-bodied seamen, and boldly
attacked at once; but he had to think of his captain and the great risk
he ran of bringing him into difficulties and forcing him to answer for
some international difficulty over the rights of the United States,
which, if the American overseer was right, were sure to be jealously
maintained.

It was hard to do, and Murray noticed a peculiar twitching about his
officer's lips as he turned at last to the smiling, sneering man, his
first words showing his hearers how bitterly he felt his position and
the necessity for obeying the teachings of t