At this announcement, we gazed strangely at each other, anxious to see who it was that looked like dying, and pretty nearly deciding to stay aboard and get well, rather than go ashore and be buried. There were some, nevertheless, who saw very plainly what Wilson was at, and they acted accordingly. For my own part, I resolved to assume as dying an expression as possible; hoping that, on the strength of it, I might be sent ashore, and so get rid of the ship without any further trouble. With this intention, I determined to take no part in anything that might happen until my case was decided upon. As for the doctor, he had all along pretended to be more or less unwell; and by a significant look now given me, it was plain that he was becoming decidedly worse. The invalids disposed of for the present, and one of them having gone below to be examined, the consul turned round to the rest, and addressed them as follows:— “Men, I’m going to ask you two or three questions—let one of you answer yes or no, and the rest keep silent. Now then: Have you anything to say against your mate, Mr. Jermin?” And he looked sharply among the sailors, and, at last, right into the eye of the cooper, whom everybody was eyeing. “Well, sir,” faltered Bungs, “we can’t say anything against Mr. Jermin’s seamanship, but—” “I want no buts,” cried the consul, breaking in: “answer me yes or no—have you anything to say against Mr. Jermin?” “I was going on to say, sir; Mr. Jermin’s a very good man; but then—” Here the mate looked marlinespikes at Bungs; and Bungs, after stammering out something, looked straight down to a seam in the deck, and stopped short. A rather assuming fellow heretofore, the cooper had sported many feathers in his cap; he was now showing the white one. “So much then for that part of the business,” exclaimed Wilson, smartly; “you have nothing to say against him, I see.” Upon this, several seemed to be on the point of saying a good deal; but disconcerted by the cooper’s conduct, checked themselves, and the consul proceeded. “Have you enough to eat, aboard? answer me, you man who spoke before.” “Well, I don’t know as to that,” said the cooper, looking excessively uneasy, and trying to edge back, but pushed forward again. “Some of that salt horse ain’t as sweet as it might be.” “That’s not what I asked you,” shouted the consul, growing brave quite fast; “answer my questions as I put them, or I’ll find a way to make you.”