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Rh aboard," answered the sailor, with something of a hiccough.

"Can't let me come aboard?" repeated the captain. "Why not?"

"Cause it's ag'in orders."

"Whose orders?"

"Captain Lesher's."

"Captain Lesher!" ejaculated Captain Blossom indignantly. "How long has he been a captain?"

"We made him cap'n yesterday."

"That's right," put in another sailor. "We 'lected him unan—nan—nan'mously; yes, sir, unan—nan—nan'mously."

"You are drunk, Bostwick."

"No, sir, aint drunk at all. Lesher, he's drunk but he's cap'n all the same."

"That's right," put in a third sailor. "Hurrah for Captain Lesher and the rum he let us have!"

"Got to keep off, I tell you," went on Bostwick. "If you don't, we have—er—we have strict orders to fire on you, yes, sir."

"To fire on us!" cried Dick. "Do you mean to say you would fire on us?"

"Now, see here, don't you put in your oar," said a fourth sailor. "You don't count with us. It's the cap'n that was we're talkin' to."