“You know the consequences of refusal on his part? Much as I dislike to do it, I shall have to transfer him to another ship where he will be obliged to take his chances in the forecastle and whatever rating on the ship’s books his commander decides on. You are aware that this is frequently done with American prisoners and when they show a spirit of disobedience to their fate they are triced up and flogged. The ‘Grampus’ has a rapscallion crew of jailbirds and pressed men, so Barclay is having daily use for the lash.”
“Yes, sir, we are lucky in having a picked crew on the ‘Spencer’.”
“That’s so. Mostly all the best men are engaged in the fleets off the French coast; but I had some influence with the admiral and used it to get a good crew for my ship. Some of them had served under me before. They are all right until they get foul of a cask of rum.”
“I’m afraid, sir, if Captain Mayo gets into Barclay’s hands there will be hard times for a man of his sturdy Americanism.”
“Aye, Mayo is of the stiff-necked breed that inhabits this region. And yet, he is of the purest English blood. I sometimes think these people must have just cause for their resentment against the mother country, but it wouldn’t do for me to say so openly. I admire the man’s pluck, and it would please me to do him a favor under happier circumstances; but, my dear Fotheringay, all such kindly thoughts have no place in our present plans. I have got my orders to proceed vigorously against these people and I’m going to do it.”
“And we all know that Captain Raggett has never shirked his duty no matter how distasteful to his personal feelings that duty might be. But it must be particularly obnoxious in the present case, when he has to fight men of his own race. In no part of this continent, Captain Raggett, are the inhabitants of such pure English stock as they are on Cape Cod.”
“So I hear, Fotheringay. I am not very well posted in their history, myself; but, of course, I know that Provincetown was the first harbor made by the ‘Mayflower’ and that the population of Cape Cod is largely descended from the first settlers.”
“The full story of the early settlers has yet to be written, sir. There has been little time for such work during the nearly two centuries that have elapsed since the ‘Mayflower’s’ voyage. Europe has been in a state of almost constant warfare, and the American colonies of Britain were engaged in the effort to establish a settled government and to protect themselves from the savage aborigines. The mother country was neglectful of her exiled children, her attention being entirely directed to the protection of her own shores from the assaults of her foes in Europe. Consequently, much ignorance of conditions in America prevailed, and it was not until the colonists revolted and won their independence that Britain realized how much she had lost.”
“Why, Fotheringay, you talk like a statesman! We never studied such subjects when I was your age. We were sent to sea when we reached fourteen and our learning was pretty limited. After that we had to do the best we could. I regret to say that I neglected my opportunities and you see the result—I have to depend on youngsters like you for information on matters with which every officer should be familiar!”
“If you will permit me to say so, Captain Raggett, I don’t think this lack of historical knowledge on your part has caused England to feel less pride in the career of the gallant seaman who has kept her flag flying through many a hard-fought fight.”