“Jake’s about right,” growled the other sailor, under his breath; “’twould be as good a day’s work as I ever did to stand by Jake and see the second mate get his dues.”
“Humph! and do you know what they call that? That’s mutiny, in plain English, and we should have the other officers with their pistols out, and if we didn’t get a little cold lead for our pains, we should find out how bread and water tasted in the hold for a few weeks.”
“Who cares for that?” said Jake. “Let ’em come on, if they want to! They wouldn’t shoot down three or four of us; and if they should try it, we might get some new recruits on our side, and see which of us could take the ship into port. If I was a dog when I came aboard, he’s made a devil of me since, and he may look sharp that I don’t carry him where I belong, with me.”
“You wouldn’t get any of the first mate’s watch to stand by you, if the worst comes to the worst,” said the growling sailor; “a man’s got to do his duty with him, but when he’s done it he treats him as if he had a soul in him, after all.”
“That’s a fact; Carter’s the only officer I ever saw that could get duty out of a watch and never speak an ugly word to them,” said the other; “he don’t seem to like it. But he’s sharp as a gun to the mark, at the same time, where any other man would get tipped over for it.”
“I’d be sorry to go against him” said Jake, “and so I hope he’ll let me alone, that’s all; for I’ve got where nothing will stop me. If you’ll give me your hand on it, shipmates, we’ll set sail together, and if we drop anchor in a worse port, it wont be till I’ve had some satisfaction, anyhow.”
“I don’t say but I’m ready,” said the growling sailor; “we shall find we’ve raised a lively gale of wind, but I don’t much care where it blows me. I’ve made as many voyages as any man aboard, and been kicked and cursed my share; but when it comes to crowding a man every hour and minute of a day, what do you say, Jim?”
“I say I don’t like to stand to windward of a shipmate,” said Jim, “but it will be a bad business, and we’re homeward bound. You’d better speak to Ratlins, anyhow, and see what he says. He’s gone below.”
“And that’s where we’d better go,” said the growling sailor, “or the birds of the air will be getting their eye on us before we’re ready.”
Carter had taken part of his watch below, late as it was, to finish up some ship’s writing, and his stateroom being close by the companion-way, he had heard what passed between the second officer and Jake.