"I don't consider it my duty, sir, to engage in such dirty work as
washing down decks; I should spoil my dress if I did," answered De
Lisle.

"What I order you is your duty; and if I tell you to put your hands in
the tar-bucket and black down the rigging, you'll have to do it," said
the first lieutenant, for once in a way growing angry.

"I'll go and change my clothes, then, sir," said De Lisle.

He was so long about this that when he came on deck the operations were
concluded, and the men were flemishing down the ropes. Rough-and-Ready
said nothing at the time, and De Lisle attended to his duty as usual.
Before noon, however, the captain sent for several of us youngsters into
the cabin. Though I had been so long at sea I was still considered a
youngster. The master-at-arms was standing with a small cat in his
hand, a weapon of punishment capable of inflicting a considerable amount
of pain, but not of so formidable a character as the large cat used on
delinquents among the crew. By the captain's side stood his clerk, with
a printed document in his hand.

"Read the Articles of War," said the captain, "and do you youngsters
listen."

When he came to the part referring to obedience to the orders of
superior officers, he looked at De Lisle, and exclaimed in a thundering
voice--

"Do you hear that, youngster? Prepare to receive the punishment you
merit for disobedience to orders."

On the port side was a gun which Lord Robert had chosen to have painted
green, carriage and all, to make it harmonise with the furniture.

"Strip," he said.

De Lisle, trembling, seemed disinclined to obey; but the master-at-arms
seized him, and quickly had his jacket off, and his back exposed. He
then, in spite of the boy's struggles, secured him to the gun.

"Give him half-a-dozen lashes," said the captain.

The cat descended till the blood came.

"I'll tell my father and mother," sang out poor De Lisle in his agony.

"Two more for that," cried the captain.

"Oh! could my brothers and sisters see my disgrace!" cried out poor De
Lisle, scarcely knowing what he said.

"Two more for that," shouted Lord Robert.

Again the cat descended. He thus got ten instead of six lashes. He did
not again speak. Overcome by his feelings rather than by the pain, he
had fainted. The captain sent for the doctor, who soon brought him to,
when he was led off to the surgery to have his wounds attended to.

"That's a lesson for you all