It was useless for me to remain any longer in the wheel-house, and I descended by the forward ladder to the deck. I was indignant, but I was determined to "face the music." The best of friends are liable to "fall out" at times, and no better than Vallington and myself had ever existed. He was burdened by the responsibility of the position he had assumed, and perhaps did not feel just right about the course he had taken. These things may have made him irritable. Though I had never before known him to be unkind or uncourteous, he had certainly "pitched into me," on the present occasion, in a manner which my self-respect would not permit me to endure.
I had been acting, in charge of the wheel, to the best of my ability; and I was perfectly confident that nothing would have gone wrong with the steamer if the engineer had not stopped the wheels. However I felt on the general question of duty, I was quite satisfied that I had been faithful to the interests of the expedition upon which we had embarked; and I could not bear to be "snapped up," and treated like an inferior in knowledge and skill, even by my chosen leader. I was "chief of navigation," at least; and I felt that the general had interfered with my part of the work. He accused me of causing the mischief, when he had been the author of it himself; and this was so plain to me that I could not help resenting it.
Very likely my face was flushed with anger and excitement when I confronted Vallington on the forward deck. If it was, his was not less so, and there was a lively prospect of a "family quarrel." With my strong consciousness that I had done right, or, at least, intended to do right, so far as our expedition was concerned, I could have afforded to refrain from heated expressions; and it would have been better if I had done so. It is no reason, because one person gets mad, that another should. It is more dignified, manly, and Christian for one always to control his temper. Let the truth be spoken forcibly, if need be, but kindly.
"We are in for a pretty scrape now," said Vallington, sternly and angrily, as I walked up to him.
"It isn't my fault if we are," I answered, sharply.
"Why do you say it isn't your fault, Thornton? Didn't you pilot the steamer into this hole?"
"I didn't pilot her aground. When you stopped her there were two or three feet of water under her keel."
"What did you bring her in here for? If I hadn't stopped her when I did, you would have smashed her up."
"Perhaps I should," I answered with a sneer, when I found it was impossible to make any headway against the general's unreasonable speech.
"You were going at full speed; and it is lucky I happened to see the shore and stop her when I did."