Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/306

 The larboard watch, which had been below, hearing the scuffle, rushed on deck; but before they arrived the  man had been ironed and thrust down the booby hatch. The captain, who was very much excited at seeing all the larboard watch coming aft in a body and inquiring  whom he had ironed, called for a cutlass. He then came in amongst us and inquired if any more of us  wanted to be put in irons. A man by the name of Peter promptly replied that he did; upon which he was seized  by the collar, thrown upon the deck, and held there by  the steward. Peter at once showed fight, whereupon the captain ordered him to be tied up to the rigging and  flogged. The moment the order was given, Peter struggled to his feet, bared his breast, and, grasping his sheath knife, said to the captain, "You may run me  through, but, by the Eternal, you’ll never tie me up to  the rigging and flog me alive."

The captain drew his cutlass. Up to this point the crew had remained very quiet, but when they saw the  captain’s action their blood began to rise. Each man tucked a fresh quid of tobacco into his cheek and was  ready for a fight. A bloody mutiny might have occurred had not the passengers at this moment interfered, and  by their entreaties induced the captain to let Peter go. So the cat’s paw died away.

After Peter had been released, the captain approached us and said, "Men, you know, or ought to know, the consequences of a man before the mast giving back lip. Do what you are ordered to do, and that  quickly and cheerfully. There must be no swearing,  quarreling, grumbling, or humbugging on board of this