The skipper frowned, and shook his fist right against Hunt's face. "You hound, don't joke with me. What's this man's name, Mr. Jones?" "It's either Bates or Fisher," said Jones. "No, my name's Hunt," cried Hunt. And one of the men on deck, an insinuating beggar who liked to curry favour with the powers, cried: "His name's Fisher, sir. I've seed him often about the front." "It's not, it's not," said Hunt furiously. "I'm a man well known in San Francisco." "Shut up!" said Jones; "the other joskin said that." "I won't shut up," roared Hunt, quite losing his temper. "I warn you all to put me ashore, or I'll ruin the lot of you." "Oh," said the captain, "indeed, well, we'll see. Mr. Jones, you can have the one there--Bates, I think. Mr. Ladd, look after this sailorman with the five thousand dollars. Now if there's another word comes out of either of you, or if you start fighting again and I hear of it, I'll make the pair of you wish you'd died before you saw me." And Jones shoved both of them down on the main-deck. The two unfortunates recognised that their only chance, and that the faintest, lay in speaking together. "But we're neither of us sailors, sir," they said piteously. "This is where we manufacture sailors," said Captain Singleton, who was not without humour. "Mr. Jones, Mr. Ladd, you hear that I hope they won't be able to say as much for themselves this day three months." And the crew laughed, as in duty bound. But Hunt and Gawthrop did not laugh. "D'ye think there's any truth in what those two men said?" asked Captain Singleton of his mate. "Likely enough, sir," replied Ladd. "Aren't we out of San Francisco?" "I certainly don't seem to remember their faces," said the skipper, "but they'll have to do. Make what you can of them. If it's any ways true, it's no good telling them we think so." "Certainly not, sir," said Ladd. "But what's their remedy?" He knew perfectly well that there was no practical remedy against the ship. And Hunt and Gawthrop were well aware they had none against their friend Shanghai Smith, or against Gardiner. They had no chance of speaking to each other till the second dog-watch, and then only in the presence of the whole crowd, who were very anxious to get to the bottom of the mystery. "They ain't sailormen, not they," growled the oldest man on board, who came from Brook Street, Shadwell, and was known as "Shadwell," though his real name was Shaw, "and a nice thing for hus. Two less to take the wheel. I calls it a bally shime." He looked at Hunt with an air of unutterable contempt, and sniffed every time the man spoke. Gawthrop, who was younger and more elastic, sat on the other side of the foc'sle, and presently addressed Hunt. "I suppose we must make the best of it, Hunt." "Don't speak to me, sir," said Hunt, and the crew roared. "Tell us 'ow it 'appened, do," said Tom. "Oh, ain't your friend 'aughty? Tell us, 'as 'e got that five thousand dollars?"