"Why so?"
"I'm afraid this is bad business. It's no little thing to fire a pistol at your superior officer."
"I told you what he was."
"I know you said he was a traitor; but it don't do for an officer in the navy to take the law into his own hands."
"This steamer makes sixteen knots an hour, they say," said Somers, with a smile.
The boatswain looked at him, and wondered what this had to do with shooting the second lieutenant.
"She was going to run the blockade," continued Somers.
"No doubt of that."
"Then they intended to fit her out as a Confederate cruiser."
"Perhaps they did, Mr. Somers; you know best."