ter. "Some
of them were afraid we might get things mixed on board; and after we
got the cargo in, we couldn't tell the gorillas from the runaways."

Bitts thought he had said a clever thing; and, chuckling at his own
wit, he turned on his heel, and walked aft to the waist.

"It's no use to ask them anything," said Herman.

"I suppose we may as well keep still, and wait till something turns
up," added Perth.

"I don't see that we can do anything else."

"Unless we start the water in the tanks," suggested Perth.

"And have our own supply cut off. I had enough of that sort of thing in
the ship. If we don't behave well, the first thing Fluxion will do will
be to put us on salt horse and hard bread."

"We won't do anything yet. In my opinion, we shall go into port in a
day or two."

At eight bells the starboard watch were piped to dinner, being relieved
by the port watch. The wind continued fresh and fair; and the Josephine
flew on her course, logging from ten to twelve knots all day. The
portion of the crew off duty were not required to recite any lessons,
or do anything else. The severe course of study to which Mr. Fluxion
had subjected them, during the absence of the rest of the company in
France and Switzerland, had enabled them to make up all deficient
lessons. The principal had requested Mr. Fluxion not to assign any
studies to his charge, unless it became necessary to do so in order to
keep them out of mischief. The crew were to serve in quarter watches,
from eight at night till eight in the forenoon, though the acting watch
officers were to serve full time.

Night came on with the breeze freshening, and the top-gallant-sail was
furled. The Josephine then had all she could carry, for Mr. Fluxion was
not a fair-weather sailor, and always crowded on all the vessel would
stagger under. The wind was more to the eastward than when the schooner
left Brest, which still kept it fair. At eight bells in the evening,
the first part of the starboard watch took the deck; and the night wore
away without any exciting incident to break the monotony. Peaks and
Cleats were thorough seamen, and being in authority, they compelled
every seaman to do his duty.

The sea was rough in the Bay of Biscay, and the Josephine, though she
made good weather of it, was rather wet on deck. But she was making a
splendid voyage so far. On the forenoon of the second day out, Perth
and Herman, having the watch below, had another discussion in