 less unwell; and by a significant look now given me, it
was plain that he was becoming decidedly worse.
    The invalids disposed of for the present, and one of them having gone below
to be examined, the consul turned round to the rest, and addressed them as
follows: -
    »Men, I 'm going to ask you two or three questions - let one of you answer
yes or no, and the rest keep silent. Now then: Have you anything to say against
your mate, Mr. Jermin?« And he looked sharply among the sailors, and, at last,
right into the eye of the cooper, whom everybody was eyeing.
    »Well, sir,« faltered Bungs, »we can't say anything against Mr. Jermin's
seamanship, but -«
    »I want no buts,« cried the consul, breaking in: »answer me yes or no - have
you anything to say against Mr. Jermin?«
    »I was going on to say, sir, Mr. Jermin 's a very good man; but then -« Here
the mate looked marling-spikes at Bungs; and Bungs, after stammering out
something, looked straight down to a seam in the deck, and stopped short.
    A rather assuming fellow heretofore, the cooper had sported many feathers in
his cap; he was now showing the white one.
    »So much, then, for that part of the business,« exclaimed Wilson, smartly;
»you have nothing to say against him, I see.«
    Upon this several seemed to be on the point of saying a good deal; but,
disconcerted by the cooper's conduct, checked themselves, and the consul
proceeded.
    »Have you enough to eat, aboard? answer me, you man who spoke before.«
    »Well, I don't know as to that,« said the cooper, looking excessively
uneasy, and trying to edge back, but pushed forward again. »Some of that salt
horse ain't as sweet as it might be.«
    »That's not what I asked you,« shouted the consul, growing brave quite fast;
»answer my questions as I put them, or I 'll find a way to make you.«
    This was going a little too far. The ferment into which the cooper's
poltroonery had thrown the sailors now brooked no restraint; and one of them - a
young American who went by the name of Salem6 - dashed out from among the rest,
and fetching the cooper a blow that sent him
