"Was that what you meant?" asked Robinson, suspiciously.
"Don't you see that buntline?" replied Perth. "It is fouled in the sheet, and he was pulling it through farther, so as to snarl it up still worse."
"All right," replied the inferior, who, however, was far from being satisfied with the explanation.
"All right!" retorted Perth, smartly. "Is that the way you address your superior officer. One would think I was responsible to you for my words and actions."
"I didn't mean that," added Robinson.
"What did you mean?"
"I only said all right to your explanation."
"You did—did you?" said Perth, severely. "Then you called me to an account, and now you acquit me!"
"I beg your pardon. Whatever I said, I did not mean anything disrespectful," pleaded Robinson.
"Is this the kind of discipline among the officers? If it is, I don't wonder that the crew get snarled up. I don't like to blow on a fellow, but I'm tempted to send you to the mainmast."