heir shipmates in the
odium of the insubordination which had taken place.

"No Rhine, except pork rind," said Little, as he met Raymond in the
waist, after the latter had expressed his dissatisfaction at the new
order of things.

"Do you think so?" asked Raymond, who had read enough of the splendid
scenery of the Rhine to make him very anxious to see it.

"A fellow that isn't blind can see--can't he?--if he opens his eyes,"
demanded Little. "What did the new captain do this afternoon, the very
minute the crew were dismissed from their stations?"

"I don't know. What did he do?" inquired Raymond, curiously.

"Didn't he rush down into the main cabin? Didn't he have a long talk
with Lowington? Then, wasn't the signal for sailing hoisted at once? I
tell you this is all Shuffles's doings."

"Why should Shuffles want to go to sea any more than the rest of us?"
asked Raymond.

"Why should he? Isn't he the captain of the ship now? Doesn't he want
to try on his new authority, and see how it fits? Don't he want to
punish the crew because they didn't drill well this afternoon? I
believe you are a little deaf in one eye, Raymond, or else you can't
hear in the other. It's all as plain as the figure-head on a French
frigate," continued Little, with enthusiasm enough to convince any
dissatisfied seaman.

"Perhaps it is as you say."

"I know it is."

"The drill was very bad. Every fellow knows that."

"What if it was? Whose fault was it?"

"I don't know whose fault it was; but everything went wrong, and I
suppose the new captain is not satisfied with the state of discipline
on board. I should not be, if I were he."

"Two of your little lambs are cooped up in their state-rooms now for
disobedience of orders."

"Who are they?"

"Hunter and Hyde."

"Two of the best fellows in the ship--never got a black mark in their
lives," said Raymond.

"O, well! The new captain will put you pious fellows through a course
of sprouts that will open your eyes. Shuffles is a liar and a
hypocrite. He has his reward, while an honest fellow, like me, will
stick to his bunk in the steerage till the end of the cruise."

"I don't believe Shuffles is a liar, or a hypocrite. You don't like him
because he broke up your cruise in the Josephine."

"That's not the reason. I am willing to obey the orders of all the
officers, but I don't like to see the crowd punished for nothing,"
replied Little, leading the auditor back to the original topic