"Then you put on airs, even in the cabin, and with your superior. You go in for the breast of the chickens, and drown your coffee with the last gill of milk in the ship." Cantwell bit his lips, and seemed to be very much annoyed. "Then you think you know everything, and other fellows nothing. You are willing to give your own opinion, but you won't hear that of others," continued Scott, as bluntly as the case seemed to require. "Go on; but of course you don't expect me to acknowledge all these charges," replied Cantwell, with one of his most savage sneers. "Do as you like about that; I was only telling you why the fellows are prejudiced against you. You talk and act superciliously to your ship mates, and they don't like that sort of thing. I don't, for one." "I am sorry you don't." "Do you like a fellow that treats you with contempt?" "Of course not; but that's what my shipmates do to me." "In self-defence, perhaps, they do. I suppose every fellow has his faults, except me. I don't know that I have any," replied Scott, with one of his telling smiles. "You don't?" "No; do you suppose you have any, Mr. Cantwell?" "I suppose so; but not so many as most of my shipmates, I know." "Exactly so; you admit the little things, so as to deny the big ones." "I know I am a better scholar than any other student in the cabin. They all know this, or they would not have raised this breeze." "Better let others find that out before you discover it yourself. One thing more: the officers say you are no seaman, and they don't want a fellow in command of the ship who don't know his duty. No officer likes to have one above him who knows less than he does about seamanship." "I don't suppose I know as much about a ship as those students who have been on board two or three years; but I think I am competent to perform my duty, at least with the advice of the principal, in any position." "I have told you all I know about it." "And some things that you don't know," added Cantwell, who could not believe that he was such a person as the joker had described. "Just as you please about that." "But I wish you to understand that I think you have been very fair and candid; and I am very much obliged to you for your plain speech, however disagreeable it may be to me." "You are welcome to it," laughed Scott. "Now, do you think the principal will make the change asked for by the committee?" "I don't know; but I hope he will." "You hope so!" "Yes; and if he does, we will show those cabin nobs that 'fair play is a jewel,'" answered Scott, significantly. The conversation continued until the students were piped into the boats.