"I regret that it was necessary to deprive you of water."
"It was not my fault. I had nothing to do with emptying the water tanks," pleaded the culprit. "It was the runaways who did that."
"Then you were in bad company."
"I think so myself," answered Raymond, candidly, for he was still under the influence of the clinching argument which had induced him to come on deck.
At this point the conversation was interrupted by the call of the principal, who summoned the Raymond party into his presence on the quarter-deck.
"Are you satisfied?" asked Mr. Lowington, with a pleasant smile on his face, when the rebels had assembled before him.
"No, sir," replied Raymond, promptly, and before any other of the party could give a different answer.
"Why did you come on deck, then?"
"We couldn't stand it any longer without water."
"Is that the reason why you came on deck?"