Have
you any thing to say?"
Mark and Antone, two steady, middle-aged men, who had been admired for
their sobriety, replied that they did not strike the first blow; they
had submitted to much before they yielded to their passions; but as they
acknowledged that they had at last defended themselves their excuse was
overruled. John--a brutal bully, who in fact was the real author of the
disturbance was about entering into a long harangue, when the captain
cut him short, and made him confess, irrespective of circumstances, that
he had been in the fray. Poor Sukey, the youngest and handsomest of the
four, was pale and tremulous. He had already won the good will and
esteem of many in the ship. That morning Fernando and Terrence had gone
to his bag, taken out his best clothes and, obtaining the permission of
the marine sentry at the "brig," had handed them to him, to be put on
before he was summoned to the mast. This was done to propitiate Captain
Snipes, who liked to see a tidy sailor; but it was all in vain. To all
the young American's supplications, Captain Snipes turned a deaf ear.
Sukey declared he had been struck twice before he had returned a blow.
"No matter," cried the captain, angrily, "you struck at last, instead of
reporting the case to an officer. I allow no man to fight on this ship
but myself. I do the fighting. Now, men," he added fixing his dark stern
eye on them, "you all admit the charge; you know the penalty.
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