as a blow, sir,
made by a disgusting rotten fish's head, sir. Loathsome--loathsome!
While the insult to Her Majesty's flag called upon me to fire upon the
mob. Do you know what that means, sir?"

"Yes, sir; a good lesson. They won't be so saucy again."

"You ignorant young puppy!" he cried; "it may mean a serious
international trouble--a diplomatic breach, and all through you. There,
I was hot and bad enough before, now you have made me worse."

He stretched out his hand for the glass, but did not drink; and the
sight of the cool liquid half-maddened me, for the heat and emotion had
made my throat very dry.

"Now, sir," he cried, "I am your commanding officer, and no one on board
Her Majesty's cruiser shall ever say that I am not just. Now then,
speak out; what have you to say? How came you to let the men go away to
drink?"

"I didn't, sir," I said huskily. "They wanted to go, for they were
choking nearly, but I wouldn't let them."

"What? Don't seek refuge in a lie, boy. That's making your fault ten
times worse. Didn't I see you returning to the wharf?"

"Yes, sir," I cried indignantly; "but the men had not been to drink."

"Then how dared you disobey my orders, and go away?" he roared, furious
at being proved wrong.

"I went, sir, because it was my duty."

"What!"

"We stayed till the stone-throwing grew dangerous for us, and then I had
the boat rowed out and anchored."

"Oh!"

"But I kept watch till you came in sight, sir; and we were as quick as
we could be."

"The mob pelted you too, Mr Herrick?"

"Yes, sir," I said; "and we couldn't fire over their heads, nor yet row
right away."

He looked at me angrily, and then his countenance changed.

"Pert, Mr Herrick," he said, "but very apt. You have me there on the
hop. Dear me! I've made a great mistake, eh?"

"Yes, sir," I said hoarsely.

"And you sat out there in the broiling sun, and the miserable savages
pelted you as they did me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tut, tut, tut! and the heat was maddening. Terribly irritating, too; I
felt excessively angry. I really--dear me, Mr Herrick, I'm afraid I
spoke very unjustly to you, and--I--ought a captain to apologise to a
midshipman?"

"I really don't know, sir," I said, feeling quite mollified by his tone.

"Well, I think I do," he said, smiling. "Decidedly not. As Mr Reardon
would say, it would be totally subversive of discipline. It couldn't be
done. But one gentleman can of course ap