peedily accomplished. There were no "green hands" to be
favored, for every one was competent to hand, reef, and steer. By the
time the squadron was well in the offing, the ship's company was in
condition to make sail. About ten miles outside of the harbor, the
steamer was discharged.

"All hands, make sail, ahoy!" shouted the boatswain; and every officer
and seaman sprang to his station.

Lieutenants, masters, midshipmen, and pursers mingled with the seamen,
and the work was done with promptness and precision. Topsails,
top-gallant-sails, and courses were set, and with the wind abeam, the
ship went off to the north-west as comfortably as though no mutiny had
distracted her routine. When everything was made snug for a night at
sea, the roll was called, and the names of the mutineers checked on the
list.

"Young gentleman," said Mr. Lowington, while the faithful were still
assembled in the waist, "I regret that so many of your companions have
resorted to a silly and stupid expedient to redress real or imaginary
grievances. Mutiny is never respectable, under any circumstances; and I
wish to draw a sharp line between those who do their duty and those who
do not. I desire that none of you hold any communication whatever with
the mutineers. Be dignified and gentlemanly, but avoid them. Give them
no information in regard to what transpires on deck. I _request_ you to
do this. I do not give you any order to that effect.

"None of the mutineers will be allowed to come on deck, and I shall
have some means of distinguishing the faithful from the unfaithful."

"Will you allow me to furnish a badge for each of the faithful?" asked
Grace Arbuckle, who stood near the principal, and was deeply interested
in the proceedings.

"Certainly, Miss Arbuckle; and I am sure the young gentlemen will set
an additional value upon the decoration if it is bestowed by you,"
replied Mr. Lowington, as gallantly as though he had been a much
younger man.

"Thank you, sir," answered Grace, blushing at the compliment.

"Miss Arbuckle will give a badge to each of you," continued the
principal to the faithful few.

The crew on deck applauded lustily.

"It will be a white ribbon on the left breast," said Grace.

"A white ribbon on the left breast," repeated Mr. Lowington, as Grace
hastened to the cabin to procure the materials for the decoration. "I
learn that those who refused to answer the boatswain's call, expected
to be asked for an explanat