h with other
elements than those of British life and character.

Of all the ships in the navy the Ariadne was the best that Dyck Calhoun
could have entered. Her officers were humane and friendly, yet firm; and
it was quite certain that if mutiny came they would be treated well. The
agitation on the Ariadne in support of the grievances of the sailors was
so moderate that, from the first, Dyck threw in his lot with it. Ferens,
the former solicitor, first came to him with a list of proposals, which
only repeated the demands made by the agitators at Spithead.

"You're new among us," said Ferens to Dyck. "You don't quite know what
we've been doing, I suppose. Some of us have been in the navy for two
years, and some for ten. There are men on this ship who could tell
you stories that would make your blood run cold--take my word for it.
There's a lot of things goin' on that oughtn't to be goin' on. The time
has come for reform. Have a look at this paper, and tell me what you
think."

Dyck looked at the pockmarked face of Ferens, whose record in the courts
was a bad one, and what he saw did not disgust him. It was as though
Ferens had stumbled and been badly hit in his fall, but there were
no signs of permanent evil in his countenance. He was square-headed,
close-cropped, clear-eyed, though his face was yellow where it was not
red, and his tongue was soft in his head.

Dyck read the paper slowly and carefully. Then he handed it back without
a word.

"Well, what have you got to say?" asked Ferens. "Nothing? Don't you
think that's a strong list of grievances and wrongs?"

Dyck nodded. "Yes, it's pretty strong," he said, and he held up his
hand. "Number One, wages and cost of living. I'm sure we're right there.
Cost of living was down in King Charles's time, and wages were down
accordingly. Everything's gone up, and wages should go up. Number Two,
the prize-money scandal. I'm with you there. I don't see why an officer
should get two thousand five hundred times as much as a seaman. There
ought to be a difference, but not so much. Number Three, the food
ought to be better; the water ought to be better. We can't live on rum,
maggoty bread, and foul water--that's sure. The rum's all right; it's
powerful natural stuff, but we ought to have meat that doesn't stink,
and bread that isn't alive. What's more, we ought to have lots of
lime-juice, or there's no protection for us when we're out at sea with
the best meat taken by the offi