Chapter 18 - Page 2

easily removed; next, Macy felt,
and even intimated, that he was the lawful commander of his own schooner,
in cases in which Daggett was disabled, and that the latter had no power
to transfer him and his people to the authority of any other individual.
All these points were discussed that day with some freedom, particularly
among the Vineyard-men, and especially the last.

Wisely has it been said that "the king's name is a tower of strength."
They who have the law on their side, carry with them a weight of authority
that it is not easy to shake by means of pure reasoning on right or wrong.
Men are much inclined to defer to those who are thus armed, legal control
being ordinarily quite as effective in achieving a victory, as having
one's "quarrel just." In a certain sense, authority indeed becomes
justice, and we look to its proper exercise as one of the surest means of
asserting what "is right between man and man."

"The _commodore_ says that the critturs are to be treated delicately,"
said Macy, laughing, as he lanced his first seal that morning, a young
one of the fur species; "so take up the pet, lads, and lay it in its
cradle, while I go look for its mamma."

A shout of merriment succeeded this sally, and the men were only so much
the more disposed to be rebellious and turbulent, in consequence of
hearing so much freedom of remark in their officer.

"The child's in its cradle, Mr. Macy," returned Jenkins, who was a wag as
well as the mate. "In my judgment, the best mode of rocking it to sleep
will be by knocking over all these grim chaps that are so plenty in our
neighbourhood."

"Let 'em have it!" cried Macy, making an onset on an elephant, as he
issued the order. In an instant, the rocks at that point of the island
were a scene of excitement and confusion. Hazard, who was near at hand,
succeeded in restraining his own people, but it really seemed as if the
Vineyard-men were mad. A great many seals were killed, it is true; but
twenty were frightened to take refuge in the ocean, where one was slain.
All animals have their alarm cries, or, if not absolutely cries, signals
that are understood by themselves. Occasionally, one sees a herd, or a
flock, take to its heels, or to its wings, without any apparent cause, but
in obedience to some warning that is familiar to their instincts. Thus
must it have been with the seals; for the rocks were soon deserted, even
at the distance of a league from the scene of slaughter, leaving Hazard
and his gang literally with nothing to do, unless, indeed, they returned
to complete some stowage that remained to be done, on board their own
craft.

"I suppose you know, Mr.