Part 40 (1/2)
”It was before it came on to blow very hard,” replied Pelham, seating himself on a stool, and bracing his feet against the front of the berth to prevent being thrown down.
”What did he do?”
”He snubbed me, told me I knew the rule, and was as overbearing as though I had been his servant, instead of an officer of the s.h.i.+p.”
”But what did you do? He wouldn't have done anything of the kind if you hadn't given him some provocation.”
”I told the quartermaster, when the wind was heading off the s.h.i.+p, to alter the course.”
”Didn't you tell the captain beforehand?”
”Not I.”
”Then I don't blame him for snubbing you. What's the use of being captain if the officers don't obey you?”
”If he had anything to say to me, he might have been a little more gentle about it.”
Pelham neglected to say that he was not particularly gentle himself.
”Put that light out, Pelham, for my sake, if not for your own,” said Goodwin, when he found that his companion was too much out of sorts to be reasonable.
”Neither for yours nor my own will I put it out,” replied Pelham, as he took a cigar from its hiding-place, under the lower berth.
”What are you going to do, Pelham?” demanded Goodwin, filled with astonishment, as he observed the conduct of his fellow-officer.
”I'm going to have a smoke.”
”But you know that smoking is positively prohibited either on s.h.i.+p or sh.o.r.e.”
”I haven't had a smoke since vacation,” replied Pelham, as he lighted the cigar.
”See here, Pelham; I won't stand this!” exclaimed the third lieutenant, rising up in his bed, in which act he was nearly pitched out of his berth by a heavy roll of the s.h.i.+p. ”The companion-way is closed.”
”That's the very reason why I'm going to smoke,” replied the malcontent, coolly.
”But I shall be stifled here.”
”Can't help it.”
”I can,” retorted Goodwin, as he leaped out on the floor.
”What are you going to do?”
”I am going to inform Mr. Lowington what you are doing.”
”Are you such a fellow as that?” asked Pelham, indignantly.
”I am, if you are such a fellow as to attempt to stifle me with cigar smoke in my own room. It would make me as sick as a horse in five minutes.”