"The captain has found me cleaning the brasses on his door twice, and it will hardly do to be found at the door again." "Isn't there any place in his cabin where you can conceal yourself ?" inquired Mr.Lillyworth.
"I don't know of any place, unless it is his state room; and the cabin steward has been at work there almost all the time since we got under way.

Dave seems to be a sort of confidant of the captain," suggested Mulgrum; and it looked as though the deaf mute had not held his tongue and kept his ears open for nothing; but the steward could not understand how he had got this idea into his head, for he had received his instructions while the commander was at supper, and he was sure, as he had thrown the door open several times, that the scullion was not on the other side of it.
"A nigger for his confidant!" exclaimed the second lieutenant, as he interpolated a little jaw for the benefit of the seamen and petty officers within earshot of him.

"What can we expect when a mere boy is put in command of a steamer like this one ?" "I think you need not complain, Pawcett, for you are on board of this vessel, and so am I, because she is under the command of a boy.

But he is a tremendous smart boy, and he is older than many men of double his age," added Mulgrum.
Dave realized that the supernumerary was well informed in regard to current history in connection with naval matters, and he was willing to believe that he was quite as shrewd as the officer at his side.
"The boy is well enough, though he is abominably overrated, as you will see before I have done with him," said Mr.Lillyworth contemptuously.
"It is galling for one who has seen some service to touch his cap to this boy and call him captain." "I hope you are not forgetting yourself, Pawcett--" "Don't mention my name on board of this vessel, Hungerford," interposed the officer.
"And you will not mention mine," added the scullion promptly.

"We are both careless in this matter, and we must do better.