ver for a moment thought that anything they could
say would put me in such a passion. Oh, Tom, I felt once as if I could
kill him!"

"Monkey must ha' been up very much indeed, Master Aleck. I've been
a-wondering what he could ha' called you to make you clear the decks and
go at him like that. You must have hit out and no mistake."

"Yes, I hit them as hard as ever I could--both of them."

"Both? Did you have two on 'em at yer at once?"

"Yes, part of the time."

"Then I am glad you licked 'em. It was just like a smart frigate
licking a couple of two-deckers. What did he call yer?"

"Oh, never mind, Tom; nothing."

"But he must have called yer, as I said afore, something very, very bad
indeed. Yer needn't mind telling me, my lad, for I seem to ha' been a
sort of sea-father to yer. I've heered a deal o' bad language at sea in
my time, and I should like to hear what it was that made you fly out
like that. Tell us what it was."

"No, no; don't ask me, Tom."

"Not ast yer, my lad? Well, I won't if yer say as I arn't to. But it
must ha' been something very bad indeed."

"It was, Tom, horribly bad; but--but he didn't call me anything. It was
something he said made me so angry. I wouldn't have fought like that
for anything he had called me."

"Ho!" said the sailor, thoughtfully. "Then it was about somebody else?"

"Yes, Tom," said the lad, frowning, and with his eyes flashing with the
remains of his anger.

"Then it must have been something as he called me," said the sailor,
naively. "Yes, I know he's got his knife into me. So you licked him
well for saying what he did, Master Aleck?"

"Yes," said the lad, thoughtfully, and with the frown deepening upon his
face.

"Then I says thankye, Master Aleck, and I won't forget it, for it was
very hansum on yer."

"What was?" said the lad, starting.

"What was? Why, you licking that big ugly lout, my lad, for calling me
names."

"No, no, no," cried Aleck, quickly; "it was not for that."

"Why, you said just now as you did, Master Aleck," said the sailor,
blankly.

"Oh, no; you misunderstood me, Tom. It was not for that."

"Ho! Then what for was it, my lad?"

"I can't tell you, Tom," cried the boy, passionately. "Don't worry me.
Can't you see I'm all in pain and trouble?"

"All right, sir; I don't want to worry yer. It don't matter. I
couldn't help wanting to know why you larruped him; but, as I said
afore, it don't matter. You did lar