then say as little as you can."

On entering the captain's room Frank found the latter busied in
"pricking out" the ship's course on the chart, and was thus able to
survey him at leisure. Captain Gray's plain black suit and standing
collar, his grayish-brown hair, close-cut whiskers, and mild expression,
made him look more like a preacher than like one who had led a forlorn
hope over the ruins of Fort Sumter, and had captured, single-handed, the
ringleader of a dangerous mutiny in the West Indies. This mutiny,
however, had occurred aboard another vessel, for nothing of the sort had
ever been heard of on his own. The crew "froze to him" in all he did or
said; and any "sea-lawyer" who tried to breed a disturbance soon found
the _Arizona_ too hot for him.

"Talk 'bout the officers as ye like," was the constant saying on the
forecastle, "but nary word agin the old 'deacon.'"

For, strange to say, Captain Gray _was_ a deacon when ashore, and not a
few of his best hands were members of the old white church at home in
Nantucket.

[Illustration: THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM.]

His room was like himself--simple, but perfectly orderly. A neat bed,
with snow-white coverlet and pillow; a little cupboard beside it,
containing a pitcher and wash-basin; a Bible in a neat wooden rack on a
small table; a rifle, cutlass, and two revolvers, all bright and clean,
hanging on the wall above it; a cabinet of books, mostly works of travel
and navigation; several chairs, on one of which lay the captain's coat
and cap; and a curtain along the wall, above which appeared various
articles of clothing hung on pegs.

Presently the captain looked up, and after "figuring" a moment on a slip
of paper, touched a bell. Instantly a panel flew open, and a hoarse
voice shouted, "Ay, ay, sir!"

"How's her head now, quartermaster?"

"S.E. by S., sir."

"All right; keep her so."

"Ay, ay, sir;" and the panel closed again.

Then, for the first time, the captain appeared to become aware of
Frank's presence, and bending forward, fixed upon him a look that seemed
to read his very soul. It was a proverb with the crew of the _Arizona_
that "no rogue could ever face the old man's eye;" and although he was
never known to utter an oath or unseemly word, his very glance had more
effect than any amount of bluster and bullying.

"So you're the boy who oiled the outboard bearing to-day? I hear you've
been fighting with Monkey. We won't say any more about that now, but