ing with the poop and
ending with the midship section in the waist, where all the water was
collected in a sort of small lake and had to be swabbed out of the
scuttles.

Young Maitland meanwhile had been sent up the main royal mast to clear
the dog vane, which had somehow or other got fouled; so Mr Capstan,
satisfied at seeing everybody busily employed but himself, paced
contentedly up and down the poop, sniffing about and snorting
occasionally like an old grampus, as if in satisfaction at "taking it
out of the youngsters."

The man was naturally a bully, and loved to display the little authority
he had by "hazing" those under him, to use the technical sea phrase.

By dint of continually nagging at the men below from his commanding
position above, the second-mate hurried them up so with their work that
in a very short space of time the decks were scrubbed and washed, the
sun drying them almost without the use of the swab.

Mr Capstan then set them to work coiling down the loose ropes lying
about, there being nothing else to do, as the ship had not altered her
course but remained on the starboard tack with the wind well on her
quarter; and, although everything had been made snug before leaving the
Downs, he was just going to tell the hands to unship the motley contents
of the long-boat and stow it again afresh in default of some other task,
when eight bells struck, and Uncle Jack came up from below to relieve
him from his watch--a relief, it may be added, to all hands in more than
one sense!

Presently, Captain Lennard came on deck too; although he must not be
thought lazy for being so late, for he had remained up with the pilot on
the bridge all night conning the ship, only turning in for a short nap
at daylight.

Then, the passengers, of whom there were some sixty in the first-class
saloon, began to creep up the companion, one by one as if not yet
accustomed to the somewhat unsteady footing of a ship's deck at sea; as
for the steerage emigrants they remained below, and even after they had
been weeks afloat it required almost force to drive them up into the
fresh air.

Teddy was looking at the queer figures some of the gentlemen and ladies
presented on the poop, when all at once the breakfast gong sounded, and
they all scuttled down much faster than they had come up, the sea air
having given those able to get out of their bunks fresh appetites after
they had paid homage to Neptune.

He was not invited to go d