grub. There's no use working
up unchristian-like feeling between us simply because I'm not going to
let any damn foolishness stand between me and my vittles. Eat while ye
may, says I, and God bless you for a kind-hearted, gentle skipper. You
says yourself that the Lord helps them as helps themselves, which goes to
show I'll just make a stab for another piece o' that junk before some
other son of a gun runs afoul of it an' helps himself. Which would be
goin', o' course, agin the will o' the Lord."

Sackett hardly breathed. His face turned purple with rage. Andrews took
no notice of him save to draw a revolver from his pocket and place it on
the table beside his plate.

"Sit down and eat, papa," said Miss Sackett, who was at his right hand,
and as she did so she placed her hand upon his shoulder.

The touch of his daughter's hand seemed to bring the skipper back to his
senses, or rather seemed to enable him to thrust his present feelings
aside for her sake. He sat down and stared at Andrews for fully a minute,
while that ruffian ate and winked ofttimes at Mr. Bell. Once in a while
he would give a loud snort and hold his face upward for an instant. Then
a sour smile would play around his ugly mouth as though he enjoyed his
humor intensely. The third officer frowned severely at him several times,
and then asked in his silly voice if he would please behave himself.

The effect was altogether too ludicrous to be borne. Miss Sackett
smiled in spite of herself and I almost laughed outright. Then, feeling
sorry for my host, I began to eat as an excuse to hide my feelings.
Sackett ate little, and in silence. When he was through, he arose and
left for the deck, leaving the rest of us at the table. Miss Sackett
followed him quickly, as though she instinctively felt what might
happen if she remained.

I sat there looking at Andrews for some moments. He raised his head
several times and gave forth his peculiar snort, smiling at Mr. Bell.
"Young fellow," said he, slowly, "we've had a turn or two, an' nothin'
much has come of it. Let's shake an' call it square." And he held out his
hand toward me.

"I suppose you really had some cause to lose your temper," I answered,
"the day I hailed you from the poop, because you were used to commanding
there. I've heard many unpleasant things about you, Captain Andrews, but
if you will let matters pass, I'm willing. I never turned down a man yet
on hearsay when he was willing to see me half