“Mr Who?” roared the captain.
“That American gentleman who wanted to come with us.”
“You don’t mean to say you’ve been with that inquisitive chap, do you, sir?”
“Yes. What harm was there in that?”
“What harm? Look at you this morning.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know how it was,” said the mate.
“Then I’ll tell you how it was, sir. It was my second officer making an excuse to go ashore, and getting into bad company. But never no more, James Lynton: never no more. You don’t deceive me twice like this.”
“It was all an accident,” grumbled the delinquent.
“Yes, of course, and a nice state we were in, believing that after you came aboard you fell over the side and were drowned.”
“You didn’t think that, did you?” cried Lynton.