Captain Blossom remonstrated with him, but this did little good.
"I'm attending to my duties," said Lesher.

"And if I do that you can't expect more from me." "I thought I hired a man that was sober," said Captain Blossom.

"I won't place my vessel in charge of a man who gets drunk." Yet he was not willing to do the mate's work, or put that work onto others, so Jack Lesher had to take his turn on deck, no matter in what condition.
"I must say I don't like that first mate at all," said Tom to Sam.
"He is very friendly with Baxter." "I have noticed that," replied the youngest Rover.

"Such a friendship doesn't count in the mate's favor." "Last night he was thoroughly drunk, and wasn't fit to command." "Well, that is Captain Blossom's lookout.

The captain can't be on deck all of the time." Two nights after this talk Jack Lesher was again in command of the ship, Captain Blossom having retired after an unusually hard day.
It was hot and dark, and the air betokened a storm.