"No use losing your temper," counseled Ned; "just keep cool. Hullo, there is an old lady and a younger one standing up over there. The old one looks feeble. I'm going to give them these seats. Come on and get up."
"All right," muttered Herc, "but I don't see any one else doing so. See, all the men are seated and the women all seem to be standing up. What's the use of being different to the others? We'll only get stared at."
"All the more reason that we should be polite. The first duty of a sailor is to be kind and courteous to those weaker than himself," rejoined Ned in an undertone, as the boys rose to their feet.
With a courteous bow, Ned approached the ladies and motioned behind him to where he supposed two seats were vacant.
"Will you avail yourself of our places, madam?" he said, addressing the older lady and removing his navy cap.
Herc, with an awkward grin, also uncovered his red thatch and made a sweeping motion behind him with his big hand.
"Thank you very much, sir," rejoined the elderly lady, "my daughter and myself would be very glad to accept your kindness, but others seem already to have availed themselves of it."
"What's that?" cried Ned, wheeling, with a red face, and clapping his eyes on the seats they had just vacated.
Sure enough, as the elderly lady had said, they were occupied.
Two stout, red-faced men, with well-rounded stomachs and fingers covered with diamonds, lolled at their ease in the just vacated seats, reading their papers. They had slipped into the places while the boys were requesting the two ladies to take them.