Over on the other side of the deck a tall officer, clad in a greatcoat and swinging a telescope, was walking up and down dodging the rain-drips from the awning. He was a lieutenant, from the two gold stripes and the curl on his shoulder-straps, and was, as a matter of fact, the officer of the watch. Presently the merriment at Martin's expense became rather raucous, and the officer turned round and saw the messenger and the side-boy laughing together. The chubby-faced youths caught his eye roving over them, and immediately both became rigid, with an innocent expression on their faces.
'Come here, you two!' he called, beckoning with his telescope.
The two youngsters trotted up and halted before him with a salute.
'Skylarking again, eh?' the lieutenant asked.
'Oh no, sir. We wusn't skylarkin',' the elder of the two protested.
'Humph! I don't know so much about that. I suppose you were making fun of that man who's just joined, eh?'
'Oh no, sir. I only said to Horrigan'——
'I don't want to hear what you said to Horrigan, or what Horrigan said to you,' interrupted the officer of the watch, smiling to himself. 'Evidently the time hangs heavily on your hands, and I'll not have the quarterdeck turned into a bally music hall.' He looked round the deck, and noticed some untidy ends of rope near the ship's side.
'You, Bates,' he went on, 'can amuse yourself by coiling down the ends of these boats' falls and awning jiggers; and you, Horrigan, can broom all that water into the scuppers.' He waved his hand toward some pools of rain-water near the edge of the deck. 'When you've done that you can let me know, and I'll find you another job. Go on—away you go!'
The boys pattered off, and the lieutenant resumed his perambulation.