ght that when my hand got well I
could win back my berth in the same manner, and to this end applied at
once to the captain for bandages and splints from the medicine chest.
He responded like a brother; but earned none of my gratitude, for I
considered the medicine chest as furnished out of the Marine Hospital
dues, which I had paid for years.

"I had noticed that my pistol and Macklin's knife had disappeared from
the water tank, and supposed that he, as the first act in his new
position, had confiscated them. So, as I had no use for a gun while
'fore the mast, I put the matter from my mind. I meant to sing small,
until my hand was well.

"But what followed in that ship shows how little we can depend upon our
good resolutions. I was still in the starboard watch, having taken
Macklin's place forward, while he, as mate, had charge of the port
watch, and Mr. Parker as second, became my watch officer. So far there
had been no friction between Mr. Parker and myself; but now I found the
man dead down on me, as though he blamed me for his licking and his
change of office.

"One-handed, I was almost useless around decks, and could not steer
except in the finest of weather; but this made no difference. I was
hounded, cursed, and struck, not only by Parker, but by the skipper and
Macklin. Some kind of armed neutrality must have sprung up between
Macklin and Parker with regard to me; but I could only ascribe the
skipper's new personal attitude to a distrust of my philosophy, which,
while impelling me to make the best of matters, may have seemed to him
the calm before the storm. I escaped Macklin's abuse, however, except
in the dog watches, when all hands were on deck.

"They damned, deviled, and degraded me, keeping me all night on
lookout, and rousing me from sleep at any time of the day watch below
to climb aloft and loose a royal stop buntlines, or remove an Irish
pennant--a loose rope yarn, you know--from any part of the rigging. My
nerves went back on me from loss of sleep and futile anger and
brooding; and once, when Macklin stripped off the sling I had rigged to
hold my sore fist, and knocked me down for protesting, I saw red for a
moment.

"Even so, nothing might have happened--had not the crew been included
in the drill they were serving me. As an old hand in deep-water ships,
I knew the absolute necessity of preserving discipline, and that this
can be done only by occasionally knocking down a malcontent; but no
su