pline.

No one was badly hurt, but every one was excited. Those who were not
concerned in the plot caught the spirit of mischief from the others,
and, with but few exceptions, the crew joined in the sport. The seaman
who originated the trouble had simply neglected to insert the pins
which confine the capstan bars within the pigeon-holes, or had left the
bars with the heads against the pins. As nearly all joined in the
frolic, there were none to inform against others, and it was simply
impossible for Leavitt, the second lieutenant, or Ellis, the first
master,--under whose eye this breach of discipline had occurred,--to
determine who the ringleaders were.

Shuffles and the commodore were intensely annoyed at this scene, and
immediately went forward. By this time, those who had been thrown upon
the deck, which included nearly all at the capstan, had picked
themselves up. The Knights looked even more innocent than those whom
they had dragged into the scrape, and the high officers from the
quarter-deck were no wiser than the lieutenant and master. In the midst
of the confusion, Howe and Wilton had removed the pins from the bars,
which still remained in the drumhead of the capstan.

"Mr. Leavitt, how did this happen?" demanded Captain Shuffles.

"Half the bars dropped out of the capstan all at once, and the hands
were thrown down," replied the lieutenant, who was hardly less annoyed
than the captain.

"Were the bars pinned in?"

"I supposed they were, sir."

Captain Shuffles walked up to the capstan. Not a single pin was
inserted.

"Let your midshipman see that the bars are properly pinned and
swiftered next time," said the commander, as he walked aft to resume
his place on the quarter-deck.

"Unship the bars!" said Leavitt; and they were restored to the rack,
leaving everything as it was before the drill began.

The crew were piped to muster, and the order to weigh anchor repeated.
The capstan bars were shipped, and this time, the midshipman whose
station was on the forecastle satisfied himself that they were securely
pinned, and so reported to the second lieutenant. As the rogues had
made no provision for this state of things, they were thrown upon their
own resources for the means of defeating the operation a second time.
Commodore Kendall had placed himself in position to watch the movement,
and the officers in charge had pinned their eyes wide open, fully
resolved that the authors of the trouble should not e