"Injustices, sor, which have kept me down to meejor when I ought to have been a gineral;" and as he talked Mrs Major worked with Mrs Strong, and watched her daughter, a pretty bright girl of twelve, who passed her time between her books and watching the three German students as she tried to recollect which was which.
"Ah, captain," said the major to him one day, as they were all gazing at a large steamer that was passing them easily, "you won't understand me.
You're a backward man, or you'd be in command of a fast steamer instead of a slow sailing ship." "Sailing ships are quite dangerous enough, major, without having hundreds of tons of coal aboard, and a large fire roaring night and day.
Fires are risky things aboard ship." "Not if there's a properly disciplined crew on board, sor," said the major.

"Bah!" He cocked his cap on one side, and leaned forward to watch the passing steamer.
"I hope we should do our duty if we did have a fire, discipline or no discipline," said the captain gruffly, and the subject dropped.
It was a trifling incident, but it set several people on board thinking.
It was, however, soon forgotten, and with the sea, as Billy Widgeon said, as smooth as a mill-pond, and all sail set, the great East Indiaman continued her course, the journey now being thoroughly enjoyable.
There were plenty of little incidents occurring to keep the trip from being monotonous.

About every twenty-four hours Mr Gregory was finding fault with David Jimpny, who seemed to be one of those unfortunates who never succeed.

From scraps of his history, which he insisted upon retailing to Mark when he could find him alone, it seemed that his life had been so many scenes of trouble.
"I'm a-trying hard, sir, as hard as I can, to be a sailor, but I don't get on.

My hands never seem to manage ropes, and it's no use for Mr Gregory to bully me.