Weren't you, Bob ?" "Yes, I was sorry," said the boy repentantly, but without taking his eyes off the big sailor, whose leg was still going up and down like one of the engines on board his father's ship.
"But I must be angry with him, my darling," said the Captain gravely.
"Bob knows better; if he does such things now and does not check them, he will grow into a bully, and disgrace himself." This was said at the Skipper, whose face was very red, from his efforts to keep back his tears.
"Oh! Pa dear!" cried Dot.
"Hush! my darling," said the Captain.

"Here, Jeffs!" "Ay, ay, sir!" roared the big sailor, as if he were speaking in a storm; and he swung round again, with his packages flying out, like the governor balls of the ship's engine.
[Illustration: "_'Jack Robinson' saluted the little Skipper and Dot._"] "Did you bring that breech-loading cannon ?" "Ay, ay, sir!" said the sailor, holding up the hand which held the parcels.
"And the brass anchor ?" "Ay, ay, sir!" and the hand was lifted again.
"And I told you to buy a coil of well-laid cable." "Ay, ay, sir!--best fishing-line.

In my 'at, sir." "Right then; you can take them back: they will not be wanted." "Ay, ay, sir!" cried the man, but not so loudly and sharply; and he gazed now at the Skipper, who looked back at him in his misery; and strive how he would, he could not keep back one little tear, which squeezed itself out of his left eye and tickled his cheek very much, as it slowly ran down.
Poor little Dot was not so strong, but still she was brave, for she made no sound, while she hid her face and cried bitterly.
Meanwhile, the big sailor had faced about and was walking back, picking up his feet from the sand as if it were hot and burned him, while the Captain turned his back on his son and began to move off toward the fir-wood.
This gave the Skipper his opportunity too; he swung round to hide the tears that had beaten him, and would come trickling down.
For the boy in his misery and despair felt that he could not--thanks to his training--run to his father and beg for forgiveness, so that he might have the presents the Captain had brought for him.

It would be so mean, he thought.

But that cannon, _and_ the anchor, _and_ the ship's cable.