"
"Do you refer that observation to me, Mr Swinburne?" said a voice from
under the bulwark. I started round, and found the captain, who had crept
upon deck, unperceived by us, during our conversation. Swinburne made no
reply; but touched his hat and walked over to leeward. "I presume, Mr
Simple," said the captain, turning to me, "that you consider yourself
justified in finding fault, and abusing your captain, to an inferior
officer, on His Majesty's quarter-deck."
"If you heard the previous conversation, sir," replied I, "you must be
aware that we were speaking generally about court-martials. I do not
imagine that I have been guilty of any impropriety in conversing with an
officer upon points connected with the service."
"You mean then to assert, sir, that the gunner did not refer to me when
he said the words, 'spy captain.'"
"I acknowledge, sir, that as you were listening unperceived, the term
might appear to refer to you; but the gunner had no idea, at the time,
that you were listening. His observation was, that a spy captain would
always find spy followers. This I take to be a general observation; and
I am sorry that you think otherwise."
"Very well, Mr Simple," said Captain Hawkins--and he walked down the
companion ladder into his cabin.
"Now a'n't it odd, Mr Simple, that I should come up with the intention
of being of service to you, and yet get you into such a scrape? However,
perhaps it is all for the best; open war is preferable to watching in
the dark, and stabbing in the back.
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