I found the ship staggering along under an unnecessary and unwise press of after canvas, the mate still berating Bill, who was desperately heaving on the wheel, and Mabel seated in a deck chair on the weather, or starboard, quarter. Following me along the lee alley came the twin brother Tom to relieve Bill at the wheel; but before allowing him to take the spokes I steadied the ship myself. Then I relinquished the spokes to Tom and turned officially to relieve the mate. But he had other matters on his mind. Collaring Bill before he could give the course to his brother, he hurled him violently against the lee quarter rail, then followed and drove him, with kicks and punches, forward along the alley. "Now, then, you long-jawed farmer," he shouted to the cowering man, "up aloft wi' you! Up the lee rigging you go, and over the lee futtock rigging, to the upper topsail yard, and out the lee yardarm! Hear me? The lee upper topsail yardarm, where you keep a lookout till four bells." "Yes, sir," answered Bill in a curious throaty voice as he scrambled into the rigging. "And when the bells strike, you answer them, d'you hear? You sing out, 'One bell--all's well! Two bells--all's well!' and so on. Hear?" "I hear," snarled Bill, "and by Gawd I'll have your life for this!" Mr. Butterell's life for a second time had been threatened on board that ship, and there was an explosiveness in the words, "I'll have your life for this!" that indicated their sincerity. Then followed a volley of village billingsgate as Bill made the hard climb on the slackened rigging, and Mabel rose from her seat; but the mate's answer silenced Bill, and she resumed it. "Here!" he said, picking up Bill's knife, which had evidently jolted out of its sheath in the fracas. "This is what you want? I'll put it right here, on the house over my window. You can knife me when I'm asleep, and save your friend the trouble." Then he placed the knife carefully within the covering board of the house, and came aft with his smirk, strongly visible in the moonlight. I was standing beside Tom watching his steering--for he was getting as nervous over it as his brother--and directly in front of Mabel's chair. But I was not yet in charge of the deck. "Mr. Butterell," said the girl calmly as he approached, "I must ask you not to arouse the men to such language as I have just been compelled to listen to. I am not accustomed to it." The smirk left his face and it took on a scowl as he realized my presence. "Why, Miss Merwin," he stammered. "I didn't suppose--" "That is all, Mr. Butterell!" she interrupted. "I do not care to argue." "Course due east," he growled, turning to me. "Due east, sir," I answered. "And keep that mutt aloft till four bells. If he fails to answer the bells, keep him aloft the whole watch." "Is that all, sir? Is the watch relieved?" "Watch is relieved, all right. No need o' mustering and counting this moonlight night. You have the deck now. Watch out!"