‘’Taint bad discipline, taking it all round,’ said the soldier, speaking to all who chose to listen, though I seemed to find his remarks intended for my amusement or enlightenment. ‘It’s mostly settled aboard the hulks before the parties come aboard. So I’m told. The convicts they think proper to trust are made petty officers of. There’s first and second captains, captains of divisions, captains of wards. Then some of them are made cooks of, t’others barbers, and every mess has its head. With this sort of arrangement they keeps each other in order.’ ‘Do any privileges go along with these appointments?’ asked one of the soldiers. ‘The privilege of being appointed.’ I listened, but asked no questions. I dared not exhibit interest. I could not forget that these soldiers formed a portion of the convicts’ guard. ‘I notice,’ said one of the soldiers, ‘that they puts them there malefactors to all sorts of ship’s work. They were helping the sailors wash the deck down this morning. They work hard, as though eddicated under the muzzle of the carbine. A sight of difference there was ’twixt the sailors’ scrubbing and their’n.’ I was watching the convicts whilst I listened to the soldier’s talk, when some one inside of the cuddy called out: ‘Marlowe!’ I forgot my feigned name, and did not respond. The voice again called, on which, with a start. I looked through the cuddy door and saw the steward. ‘I reckoned as much,’ said he, with a laugh. ‘’Taint every purser’s name as fits like old boots. Step this way.’ I entered. Just then the doctor came down the companion-steps at the end of the cuddy and entered an after-cabin on the port side. He paused a moment, as though to observe me, but did not speak. A young man, whom I supposed to be an under-steward, was lighting the cabin lamps, but there still lived a wild flush of western light, and you saw plainly by it. The steward began by informing me that I had no business in the ship; that by stowing myself away on board a convict ship I risked the chance of being made a felon of, of receiving six dozens at the gangway, of being hanged at the yard-arm. In thus reassuring me he gave himself the airs of the captain of the ship. He then added: ‘However, I like your looks, as I told you before, and I’ve put in a good word for you with Captain Sutherland, who, I may tell you, don’t think any the worse of a youngster like you for squaring up, as he’s heard you’ve done, to the doctor. The doctor himself owned to the captain,’ said he, lowering his voice and looking aft toward the surgeon’s cabin, ‘that he got rather more from you than he knew what to do with.’ He then abruptly inquired if I possessed any clothes besides those I wore. I answered I had not. ‘Got any money?’ ‘How much ought I to want?’ ‘How much ha’ ye got?’ said he. ‘All I shall need on my arrival,’ said I.