In About Ten Minutes They Came Forward Again, And The
Whole Affair Had Been Blown.
The carpenter, very prematurely,
and without any authority from the crew, had sounded the mate
as to whether he
Would take command of the ship, and intimated
an intention to displace the captain; and the mate, as in duty
bound, had told the whole to the captain, who immediately sent
for all hands aft. Instead of violent measures, or, at least,
an outbreak of quarter-deck bravado, threats, and abuse, which
they had every reason to expect, a sense of common danger and
common suffering seemed to have tamed his spirit, and begotten
something like a humane fellow-feeling; for he received the crew
in a manner quiet, and even almost kind. He told them what he
had heard, and said that he did not believe that they would try
to do any such thing as was intimated; that they had always been
good men, - obedient, and knew their duty, and he had no fault to
find with them; and asked them what they had to complain of - said
that no one could say that he was slow to carry sail, (which was
true enough;) and that, as soon as he thought it was safe and
proper, he should make sail. He added a few words about their
duty in their present situation, and sent them forward, saying
that he should take no further notice of the matter; but, at the
same time, told the carpenter to recollect whose power he was in,
and that if he heard another word from him he would have cause to
remember him to the day of his death.
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