“Thank you, Captain Royal Ringgold; I shall be under very great obligations to you for doing so. If you can make this old tub do any better, I should like to see it done; but I think we shall soon find that we have two lubbers on board instead of one,” replied the mate as pleasantly as he had talked to Louis. “I think we had better attend to one or two preliminaries before we do anything. You assisted Captain Scoble to kidnap four persons at this moment on board of the Maud. Is this a true bill?” demanded the captain, placing himself close beside the mate. “Yes, sir; as true as the comic almanac,” answered Frinks squarely, with a smile on his spray-covered face. “That is honest and candid.” “Do you suppose if the Prince of Wales should succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom, it would make any difference to me?” “Give it up!” laughed the captain. “He would be the king and I should still be the subject, just as John Scoble is commander of the Maud and I am the mate. It is all the same to me who is captain. I am informed by the cook that you have taken possession of the vessel, and put the captain in irons, locking him up in my stateroom.” “The cook informed you correctly.” “All right. I am not such a fool as Scoble, who has been jawing all day with my particular friend, Louis Belgrave, whose acquaintance I had the honor to make at Von Blonk Park. As to kidnapping you, my dear Captain Ringgold, I had not the least intention of doing anything of the sort. I would have given ten shillings out of my own pocket to get rid of you and the other young gentleman, when I saw you at the station. In a word, Captain Scoble did not want you.” “At the same time I am glad to be here for Louis’s sake.” “I dare say. If you are now the captain, I am ready to swear allegiance to the powers that be.” The mate resigned the wheel to the captain. CHAPTER XVII A CHANGE OF MASTERS Louis was not a little astonished at the ready yielding of Mr. Frinks to the new order of things on board of the Maud, for he had expected serious opposition from him, and that he would carry it even to fighting for Scoble. If he was disposed to resist the new masters of the vessel, probably the physique of Captain Ringgold was not encouraging to him. The shipmaster took the wheel, and immediately gave his whole attention to the management of the vessel. “I suppose you have no further use for me on deck,” said Mr. Frinks, after he had given up the wheel. “I don’t know what course you intend to take, but, with your permission, I will go down into the cabin.” “I should be very sorry to incommode so amiable a gentleman, but you will oblige me by remaining on deck,” replied the captain. “You are acquainted with the Maud, and I am not; I may need your counsel and assistance.” “I did not suppose you would require anything of such a lubber as I am,” replied the mate.