"Are you the master of the _Agra?_" (His quick eye had recognised her in
a moment.)
"I am, sir."
"Then she was commanded by a seaman, and is now commanded by a lubber.
Don't apply for your papers this week; for you won't get them. Good
morning. Take him away."
They returned Robarts to his ship, and a suppressed grin on a score of
faces showed him the clear commanding tones of the commodore had reached
his own deck. He soothed himself by stopping the men's grog and
mast-heading three midshipmen that same afternoon.
The night before he weighed anchor this disciplinarian was drinking very
late in a low public-house. There was not much moon, and the officer in
charge of the ship did not see the gig coming till it was nearly
alongside: then all was done in a flurry.
"Hy! man the side! Lanterns there! Jump, you boys, or you'll catch
pepper."
The boys did jump, and little Murphy, not knowing the surgeon had ordered
the ports to be drooped, bounded over the bulwarks like an antelope,
lighted on the midship port, which stood at this angle /, and glanced off
into the ocean, lantern foremost: he made his little hole in the water
within a yard of' Captain Robarts.
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