"Didn't you know the vessel was starting?
Hadn't you time to get off?
Didn't you hear the gong?
Everybody else heard it.

Are you all deaf ?" This was a good deal to answer at once, so I just said that I didn't remember hearing any gong.

Tom Myers and his brother George, however, spoke up, and said that they had heard a gong, they thought, but did not know what it was for.
"Why didn't you ask, then ?" said the captain, who was getting worse in his humor.

I had a good mind to tell him that it would take up a good deal of the crew's time if Tom Myers and his brother George asked about everything they didn't understand on board this ship, but I thought I had better not.

I have no doubt the gong sounded when we were having our row in the state-room, and were not likely to pay attention to it even if we did hear it.
"And why, in the name of common sense," the captain went on, "didn't you come and report, the instant you found the vessel had started?
Did you think we were fast to the pier all this time ?" Then Scott thought he might as well come out square with the truth; and he told how they made up their minds, after they found that the steamer had really started, with them on board, not to make any fuss about it, nor give anybody any trouble to stop the ship, or to put back, but just to stay quietly on board, and go back with the pilot.