"Tie 'im up," ordered Captain Ezra. The man submitted to having his hands made fast behind his back. "Now for the next one," said Captain Ezra, blowing a calm puff of smoke up in the air, and watching it float away into the hollow of the mainsail. In turn the thirteen discomfited sailors were ranged along the bulwarks, and no one was left but the white-faced officer, clinging to the wreckage of the boat that was now towing alongside, for one of the crew had heaved a blubber-hook into her, at the end of a bit of ratline. "Spunky feller, ain't he?" suggested Captain Ezra, turning to Captain Dewey, who, in the excitement had taken two big chews of tobacco, one after another, and was working both sides of his jaws at once. "The last t' leave his sinkin' ship. That's well an' proper." The young man--for he was scarcely more than thirty--needed some assistance up the side, for Captain Ezra's boot-heel had come nigh to staving in his chest. "Naow, foller me, young man," Captain Ezra continued, walking toward the quarter-deck. He ascended the ladder to the poop, and the dripping figure, a little weak in the knees, guarded by a boat-steerer armed with a harpoon, obeyed and followed. As the Captain turned to meet him he noticed that the man in uniform still had his side-arms. "I'll trouble you for that thar fancy blubber-knife, young man," he said, "an' then I'll talk t' ye." The officer detached his sword from his belt and handed it over. He had not offered yet to say a word. "Naow," said Captain Ezra, holding the sword behind his back, "who be ye, an' what d' yer want? as I observed before." "I'm Lieutenant Levison of His Majesty's brig _Badger_." "Waal, ye ought to be ashamed of yourself," broke in Captain Ezra. [Illustration: "'What d'ye mean by attackin' a peaceful whaler?'"] "I am," responded the young man. "You may believe that, truly." "Waal, what d'ye mean by attackin' a peaceful whaler?" "Why, don't you know?" replied the officer, with an expression of astonishment. "Know what?" "That there's a war between England and America?" "Dew tell!" ejaculated Captain Steele, huskily, almost dropping his pipe. He stepped forward to the break of the poop. "Captain Dewey," he shouted, "this here feller says thar's a war." "So these folks have been tellin'," answered the Captain of the _Elijah Mason_; "but I don't believe it. They're pirates; that's what they be." "Gosh, I guess that's so," said Captain Ezra. "I reckon you're pirates," turning to the officer. "I hain't heard tell of no war." "We are not pirates," hotly returned the young man. "Damn your insolence, I'm an officer of His Britannic Majesty, King George!" "Tush, tush! no swearin' aboard this ship. What was you goin' to do, rowin' off to us?" The officer remained silent, fuming in his anger. "I was going to make a prize of you; and if I had you on board ship, I'd----"