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Rh he's in command and I'm only the fust mate. I'm sorry you quarreled, with the end o' the voyage almost in sight."

"What will he do?" put in Dan.

"I dunno. Drink more, I reckon, an' then come up twict as ugly."

"What about this storm that is coming up?" I questioned.

"I notified him of that half an hour ago."

"And he didn't pay any attention? It's a shame! I don't want to go to the bottom of the China Sea, whether the captain drinks or not."

"None o' us want to go to the bottom, lad. But then" Tom Dawson ended with a shrug of his shoulders. He realized more than I did what a responsibility would rest upon him did he dare to issue orders contrary to Captain Kenny's wishes.

It was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and the day had been unusually oppressive, even for this latitude, which, as most of my readers must know, never boasts of cold weather, but can easily break the record for scorchers. During the morning, when the sun had shone, the seams of the deck had run with tar, and no one had exposed himself more than was absolutely necessary. But now the sun was hidden by clouds that kept growing darker and darker, and