"Why don't you make Louis the second mate? He has no office, if he is the biggest fellow in the crowd," suggested Felix.
"Louis does not want any office, and would not take any; he told me so himself."
"He's a very modest bit of a duck."
"Now we must divide ourselves into watches," continued the captain, though he did not particularly enjoy the interruptions of Felix, who was often struggling to bring forth a joke on such occasions as the present. "You know there are two watches on board ship, Flix?"
"One on the starboard and the other on the port side," added Felix with a gape.
"Nonsense! You know very well that the name has nothing to do with the sides of the ship!" exclaimed Captain Scott impatiently. "Now talk sense, and we will soon settle this business; then you can flop over on the divan and go to sleep. Do you know which is the captain's watch, Flix?"
"To be sure I do; it's the one he commands."
"More nonsense, though we are now engaged in serious business! Port or starboard?" demanded Scott.
"Port, because the red light always belongs on the port side."
"Wrong! The mate always has the port watch. Now do you know which is which?"