"Am I to be insulted by a boy?" replied Mr. Hamblin, breaking away from his associate.
"Mr. Terrill, send Mr. Cleats and Mr. Gage aft," said Captain Kendall, hardly able to speak, so violent were his emotions.
"Mr. Kendall—"
"Captain Kendall, if you please," interposed Paul, as the professor, boiling over with rage, rushed up to him.
"Mister Kendall, I will—"
"One word, Mr. Hamblin, before you proceed any farther," continued Paul, struggling to be calm.
"Here, sir," reported the adult carpenter and boatswain.
"Stand by; I may want you," replied Captain Kendall. "Mr. Hamblin," he proceeded, turning to the furious professor, "if you venture to call me a puppy again, or to use any other offensive epithet, I will order the carpenter and boatswain to arrest you. I will send you in irons on board the ship. I beg to remind you again that I am the captain of this vessel."
Mr. Hamblin glanced at him, and then at the stalwart forward officers, who, he knew, would obey the captain if the Josephine went down with them in the act. If he did not feel that he had done wrong, he felt that he could do nothing more. Professor Stoute again interposed his good offices, and Mr. Hamblin defeated—by himself rather than the captain—bolted from the group, and rushed down into the cabin.
The entire ship's company had crowded aft to witness this exciting scene.