undecided as to the condition of his hearing and his eyesight.  I repeated the order in authoritative quarter-deck style.  He gaped in amazement apparently at my audacity, and told me in language that could not be overlooked there (or repeated here!) to do myself what I had ordered him to do.  I became at once conscious of my youthful appearance!  I assured him that I would stand no nonsense, and perhaps to awaken him to the possibilities of a physical encounter, I used some Americanisms that were obviously familiar to him and to the others who were ready to act with him.  I insisted that the orders I had given should be carried out.  He sneered at my youth, and intimated, with a grin that foreboded cannibalism, that he had eaten many a more manly-looking person than myself before breakfast, and that he would stand no G——­ d——­ cheek from a son of a——­ like me!  “Do it yourself,” said he, “I won’t,” and suiting the action to the words, he tossed the handspike on to the top-gallant forecastle.  I instantly picked it up, and it was all over his body before he had time to recover from the effect of so sudden an attack.  The captain had told me that I was to beware of treachery, and to remember the advantage of the first blow.  “Hit,” said he, “right between the eyes, and see to it that it makes sparks!” I did not expect that the necessity would arise so soon after leaving the docks, and I must plead guilty to inaccurately carrying out the captain’s suggestion, except in so far as the first blow was concerned, which was quickly and decisively struck, although not precisely between the eyes.  There were visible signs that the head and face of the rebel had sustained damage; and it may be taken for granted that other parts of his body did not escape.  He intimated that for the present he wanted no more, and I was secretly glad of it because I had been severely punished myself, although my general appearance did not show it much.  Surely the only course open to me after so unjustifiable an attack was to resent not only the insubordination, but the filthy personal attack on myself.  We had not arrived at the N.W. lightship where the tug was to cast off the tow-rope when this rebellion began, and it continued more or less until the vessel arrived at her destination, where the whole of the refractory ones were put in prison and kept there until she was ready to sail.  They were then brought aboard by police escort.  Prison diet and prison treatment had knocked a lot of the fight out of them, but the ship food soon revived the devil in them again.  We had not been at sea many days before they commenced to revolt even against steering and making or shortening sail.  It was only by the application of stringent measures that they were kept in subjection.  It was found necessary for the captain and officers not only to lock their state-room doors when in bed, but to keep themselves well armed in case of a sudden rising.  The suspense of it was terrible.  We knew that a slight relaxation in the stern disciplinary