I was a very good sort of fellow,
but used the longbow pretty frequently. I won't say how this came to my
ears, but I made a vow, and I'll keep it, that I'll force him to go out
with me, and I'll shoot him."

The other captains tried to convince Captain Staghorn that Ceaton could
not have intended to offend him, as he was a man who would never offend
anyone. Captain Staghorn muttered within his teeth, "I will, though."
I was very much induced to say "But you do draw with the longbow, and
Ceaton only spoke the truth." I restrained myself, however, wisely; for
though the other captains might be convinced that I only said what was
the case, they would very much disapprove of a midshipman expressing
himself freely about a post-captain. Coffee was soon handed round, and
we midshipmen, according to wont, retired. We repaired to the
quarter-deck, where the master, as he occasionally did in harbour, had
taken charge of the watch, the rest of the lieutenants not dining in the
cabin being on shore. He was a very worthy man, but we had no great
respect for him, and we took liberties on which we should not have
ventured with Mr Bryan or the third lieutenant, or even with Mr
Fitzgerald. For some time the influence of the cabin was on us, and we
behaved with sufficient dignity. One of the midshipmen of the Daring
walked the deck with me, and opened out confidentially with regard to
his captain, whom, however, he held in great awe. He told me that he
was very brave, and had done all sorts of wonderful things; that he did
not seem to set value on his own life or on that of anyone else; that he
was very quarrelsome, and a dead shot; that he had killed three men in
duels, and wounded half a dozen more; and that he never forgot or
forgave what he considered an insult or an injury. My friend continued,
"When we dine with him, he tells us the most extraordinary stories, and
if we do not laugh at the right place and pretend to believe them, we
are sure to get mast-headed, or punished in some other way, before many
hours are over."

"A very unpleasant character," I observed, though its hideousness did
not strike me so forcibly in those days as it does now. "I shouldn't
like to serve with him."

"Nor did I at first," said my friend, "but I have got accustomed to his
style; and some of our fellows have taken a leaf out of his book, and
boast and quarrel as much as he does."

I thought to myself of the old saying, "Like master, l