All hands had been stationed, and at four in the afternoon, the first dog watch was on duty, and there was not much that could be called work for any one to do.

Mr.Lillyworth, the second lieutenant, had the deck, and Christy had retired to his cabin to think over the events of the day, especially those relating to the Scotian and the Arran.

He had not yet read his orders, and he could not decide what he should do, even if he discovered the two steamers in his track.

He sat in his arm chair with the door of the cabin open, and when he saw the first lieutenant on his way to the ward room, he called him in.
"Well, Mr.Flint, what do you think of our crew ?" asked the captain, after he had seated his guest.
"I have hardly seen enough of the men to be able to form an opinion," replied Flint.

"I am afraid we have some hard material on board, though there are a good many first-class fellows among them." "Of course we can not expect to get such a crew as we had in the Bellevite.