"But he can get along better as captain than he could as first lieutenant; for he has only to say, 'Get under way,' 'Come to anchor,' 'Take in the main-topsail,' and the executive officer gives all the orders in detail."
"That's true. Yet the captain is expected to know all these things, and to see that they are properly done. But, after all, we are not sure that Cantwell will be captain," suggested De Forrest.
"He has had a perfect mark in every lesson during the month; and I know that Captain Lincoln slipped up on his geometry two or three times."
"But the captain has beaten him in his seamanship, I know."
"There's the difficulty. We have been in port, or lying at anchor among these islands, nearly all the time, and there has been no chance to make anything in seamanship. We have hardly had an exercise in which marks were given out since we made the coast of Norway."
"Perhaps we shall, yet."
"If we do, Cantwell won't be captain, but he may be a lieutenant; and that is almost as bad."
"We won't cry till we are hurt, then," said De Forrest; "though I think something ought to be done to keep us out of such a scrape in the future. I have a plan in my head, which, I think, would work first rate, and be a fair thing for all."
"What is it?" asked Beckwith.
"I'll tell you. As the matter now stands, a fellow may jump from the steerage into the captain's cabin without any experience at all in commanding, especially, as during the last month, when we are running about on shore, and we don't do much in seamanship."