dropping lip. "He's always drunk.
Do you think that excuses his assaulting his passengers?"

"My ship," began the captain, waving his hand unsteadily
towards the cages, "was a clean ship. Look at it now!"
It was certainly anything but clean. "Crew," continued the captain,
"clean, respectable crew."

"You agreed to take the beasts."

"I wish I'd never set eyes on your infernal island. What the
devil--want beasts for on an island like that? Then, that man of
yours--understood he was a man. He's a lunatic; and he hadn't no
business aft. Do you think the whole damned ship belongs to you?"

"Your sailors began to haze the poor devil as soon as he came aboard."

"That's just what he is--he's a devil! an ugly devil! My men
can't stand him. _I_ can't stand him. None of us can't stand him.
Nor _you_ either!"

Montgomery turned away. "_You_ leave that man alone, anyhow," he said,
nodding his head as he spoke.

But the captain meant to quarrel now. He raised his voice. "If he comes
this end of the ship again I'll cut his insides out, I tell you.
Cut out his blasted insides! Who are you, to tell me what I'm to do?
I tell you I'm captain of this ship,--captain and owner.
I'm the law here, I tell you,--the law and the prophets.
I bargained to take a man and his attendant to and from Arica,
and bring back some animals. I never bargained to carry a mad devil
and a silly Sawbones, a--"

Well, never mind what he called Montgomery. I saw the latter take
a step forward, and interposed. "He's drunk," said I. The captain
began some abuse even fouler than the last. "Shut up!" I said,
turning on him sharply, for I had seen danger in Montgomery's white face.
With that I brought the downpour on myself.

However, I was glad to avert what was uncommonly near a scuffle,
even at the price of the captain's drunken ill-will. I do not think
I have ever heard quite so much vile language come in a continuous
stream from any man's lips before, though I have frequented eccentric
company enough. I found some of it hard to endure, though I am
a mild-tempered man; but, certainly, when I told the captain to
"shut up" I had forgotten that I was merely a bit of human flotsam,
cut off from my resources and with my fare unpaid; a mere casual
dependant on the bounty, or speculative enterprise, of the ship.
He reminded me of it with considerable vigour; but at any rate I prevented
a fight.

IV. AT THE SCHOONER'S RAIL.

TH