“I just looked in to see what that hole in the wall was like and the door slammed to on me,” exclaimed Herc. “Gracious, but I’m glad to get out again. Talk about our brig, why it’s a palace compared to that cell!”
“And yet men were placed in there for voyages of a hundred days and more,” said the captain of the Victory.
“Hurry up on deck, men,” ordered Ned. “Come along, Herc. I guess your troubles are only beginning.”
“What do you mean?”
“That you’ll have to go to the mast for disobedience of orders.”
“How could I help it if the door shut on me?”
“You shouldn’t have gone in there after the whistle blew. It was your duty to go on deck at once.”
“I don’t see that I’m to blame.”
“I guess the captain will take a different view. You’ve held up the fleet for half an hour.”
“Well, it isn’t every seaman that could do that,” said Herc with a grin as he fell into line.