Chapter 66 - Page 2

sport. But Rose-water, he was a slender and rather
handsome mulatto, and abhorred the pastime. Nevertheless, the
Captain must be obeyed; so at the word poor Rose-water was fain
to put himself in a posture of defence, else May-day would
incontinently have bumped him out of a port-hole into the sea. I
used to pity poor Rose-water from the bottom of my heart. But my
pity was almost aroused into indignation at a sad sequel to one
of these gladiatorial scenes.

It seems that, lifted up by the unaffected, though verbally
unexpressed applause of the Captain, May-day had begun to despise
Rose-water as a poltroon--a fellow all brains and no skull;
whereas he himself was a great warrior, all skull and no brains.

Accordingly, after they had been bumping one evening to the
Captain's content, May-day confidentially told Rose-water that he
considered him a "_nigger_," which, among some blacks, is held a
great term of reproach. Fired at the insult, Rose-water gave May-
day to understand that he utterly erred; for his mother, a black
slave, had been one of the mistresses of a Virginia planter
belonging to one of the oldest families in that state. Another
insulting remark followed this innocent disclosure; retort
followed retort; in a word, at last they came together in mortal
combat.

The master-at-arms caught them in the act, and brought them up to
the mast. The Captain advanced.

"Please, sir," said poor Rose-water, "it all came of dat 'ar
bumping; May-day, here, aggrawated me 'bout it."

"Master-at-arms," said the Captain, "did you see them fighting?"

"Ay, sir," said the master-at-arms, touching his cap.

"Rig the gratings," said the Captain. "I'll teach you two men that,
though I now and then permit you to _play_, I will have no _fighting_.
Do your duty, boatswain's mate!" And the negroes were flogged.

Justice commands that the fact of the Captain's not showing any
leniency to May-day--a decided favourite of his, at least while
in the ring--should not be passed over. He flogged both culprits
in the most impartial manner.

As in the matter of the scene at the gangway, shortly after the
Cape Horn theatricals, when my attention had been directed to the
fact that the officers had _shipped their quarter-deck faces_--
upon that occasion, I say, it was seen with what facility a sea-
officer assumes his wonted severity of demeanour after a casual
relaxation of it. This was especially the case with Captain
Claret upon the present occasion. For any landsman to have beheld
him in the lee waist, of a pleasant dog-watch, with a genial,
good-humoured countenance, observing the gladiators in the ring,