upon the mind of the rough skipper, for he took off his
hat, and appeared to be as timid as though he had come into the
presence of the king.

"Good evening, Captain Olaf," said the boatswain.

"I want the boy Ole," replied the skipper, bowing, and returning the
salutation.

"You must talk with the principal about that."

"I don't understand."

Peaks conducted Olaf to the quarter-deck, where Mr. Lowington was
conversing with Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, who had come on board to visit
their old friends.

"This is the man that claims Ole," said the boatswain.

"I want the boy, sir," added Captain Olaf, bowing as gracefully as he
knew how.

"If Ole chooses to go with you, he may go," replied the principal.

"He does not choose to go."

"I certainly shall not compel him to go," continued Mr. Lowington.

"I will make him go."

"I shall allow no violence on board of this ship."

"But he is my boy; the son of my wife that is dead."

"He is not your son, and you have no more claim on him than I have.
The boy is an orphan. Have you been appointed his guardian?"

This question was out of Olaf's depth in the English language; but it
was translated into Danish by Professor Badois, and the skipper did
not pretend that he had any legal authority over the boy.

"But I have fed and clothed him, and he must work for me," said he.

"Ole says you did not feed him, and he had nothing but a few dirty
rags on when we picked him up. I have nothing to do with the matter.
Ole is free to go or stay, just as he pleases," replied the principal,
turning away from the skipper, to intimate that he wished to say
nothing more about the matter.

"The boy is here, and I shall make him go with me," said Olaf, looking
ugly enough to do anything.

Mr. Lowington glanced at Peaks, and appeared to be satisfied that no
harm would come to Ole. Olaf walked back into the waist, and then to
the forecastle, glancing at every student he met, in order to identify
his boy.

"See here, Norway; there comes your guardian genius," said Scott,
who, with a dozen others, had gathered around the trembling waif,
determined to protect him if their services were needed. "Bear a hand,
and tumble down the fore-hatch. Herr Skippenboggin is after you."

Ole heeded this good advice, and followed by his supporters, he
descended to the steerage. Olaf saw him, and was about to descend the
ladder, when Peaks interfered.

"You can't go down there," said he, decidedly