Page:Ballantyne--The Battery and the Boiler.djvu/183

 positions, but now we are comrades in distress, and must be on an equal footing."

"Very good," replied Slagg, looking round in his comrades' faces, and raising his voice as if making a speech. "Bein' equal, as you say, I takes the liberty o' callin' a general meetin' o' this free and—if I may be allowed the expression—easy Republic. Moreover, I move myself into the chair and second the motion, which, nobody objectin', is carried unanimously. Gentlemen, the business of this here meetin' is to appoint a commander to this here ship, an' what could be more in accordance with the rule o' three—not to mention the rules o' four and common sense—than a Shipton takin' command. Who 's goin' to make the first reslootion?"

Entering into the spirit of the thing, Robin moved that Samuel Shipton be appointed to command the ship and the party, with the title of captain.

"And without pay," suggested Slagg.

"And I move," said Stumps, who was just beginning to understand the joke, though a little puzzled by the fact that it was done in earnest, "I move that Robin Wright be first leftenant."

"Brayvo, Stumps!" cried Slagg, "your intellec' is growin'. It on'y remains to appoint you ship's monkey and maid-of-all-work—specially dirty