A SELF-ELECTED CAPTAIN. 23

An hour later Mr. Short was off duty, and Ben had
made the desired arrangements.

The deserter was in the deck-house where Ben had
summoned him for the purpose of consulting as to the best
method of his escape from the ship, and, in order that the
man might not be alarmed by the coming of the first
officer, the boy had explained to him that Mr. Short was
to assist in his departure.

“Tt won’t do for me to stay here very long,” the sailor
said as Mr. Short entered the deck -house, “for if my
mate gets on to my tellin’ of what has been done, things
will be pretty lively.”

“T reckon he won’t prance ’round this ship very much,”
the first officer said, grimly; “but at the same time, if
you're countin’ on leavin’ unbeknownst to anybody, I allow
it ain’t well he should know you are talkin’ with us. Now,
my man, I want you to give me the same yarn you spun
to Ben, an’ straight, mind you, or there ll be trouble.”

“J ain't tellin’ anything that’s crooked,” the man replied,
in an injured tone.

“Oh, no, I spose not. You spun the other yarns jest
as straight as this last one, eh?”

« The story I gave the young chap is straight, anyhow,”
the man replied, doggedly.

“Go ahead with it, then.”

' The sailor repeated his account of the desertion exactly
as he had to Ben, the mate, meanwhile, cross - questioning
closely, but without being able to trip him in the slightest
particular.