of words indeed, but it was hard to guess at what instant the blow would not come, with a long and shameful scuffle on top of it. The sailors forward stood staring aft, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of the two men gesticulating and bawling at each other. Presently, up through the hatch came Captain Punch, borne by a brace of sailors, who struggled up the steep companion steps with purple faces, panting and blowing, whilst Punch sat holding on tightly and cursing the builder of the ship for constructing a companion-way that gave a man no room to turn in.
"What is it all about?" shouted the old fellow, as his bearers dumped him down upon the deck.
"The ship's being headed for Madras," cried Mr. Wilson, with a contemptuous laugh.
"He's a liar, and he knows he's a liar," said Parfitt.
"You're making too westerly a course to suit me," exclaimed Captain Punch, and he ordered the man at the wheel to shift the helm by a spoke or two.
"Up through the hatch came Captain Punch."
"D'ye suppose," cried Captain Parfitt, approaching Captain Punch close, and snorting his words into the old seaman's jolly, round, brick-red face, "that I've taken charge of this sugar-box to larn navigation from you?"
"I ain't deaf—keep your distance," responded Captain Punch. "This sugar-box is going to get home, and I don't mean to let you put her ashore betwixt this and the London Docks, and so I tell 'ee. I've heard of navigators, you must know, whose reckoning by account has landed them by four degrees of longitude inland—same thing may happen with some folks' sextants. My course is your course, and you'll please to stick to it."
"There's not even yet southing enough," said Mr. Wilson.
"Yes, there is," cried Captain Punch. "you don't want to teach me navigation, do 'ee?"
Captain Parfitt rushed into the cabin and returned with a chart, which he laid open on the deck at Captain Punch's feet. He then went down on his knees and indicated the course with a square thumb, occasionally pounding the chart with his fist until the deck echoed again to the blows, whenever Captain Punch laughed or shook his head or uttered any observation that was distasteful to Captain Parfitt.
I left them disputing, and walked some distance forward to smoke a pipe. After a while Captain Parfitt left the deck, taking his chart below with him, and somewhat later Captain Punch was borne into the cabin by the two sailors. When Mr. Wilson found himself alone he stepped over to the wheel, and I guessed by the twirl which the man at the helm gave the spokes that Mr. Wilson had shifted the course.
This, indeed, proved the case. Scarcely had ten minutes elapsed when Captain Punch's servant arrived on deck and called out to Mr. Wilson:
"The capt'n's orders are that the ship is
