Jack still continued his forecastle conversations with Mesty: and the boatswain and purser's steward, probably from their respective ill-will towards our hero, had become great allies.

Mr Easthupp now put on his best jacket to walk the dog-watches with Mr Biggs, and they took every opportunity to talk at our hero.
"It's my peculiar hopinion," said Mr Easthupp, one evening, pulling at the frill of his shirt, "that a gentleman should behave as a gentleman, and that if a gentleman professes opinions of inequality and such liberal sentiments, that he is bound as a gentleman to hact up to them." "Very true, Mr Easthupp; he is bound to act up to them; and not because a person, who was a gentleman as well as himself, happens not to be on the quarter-deck, to insult him because he only has perfessed opinions like his own." Hereupon Mr Biggs struck his rattan against the funnel, and looked at our hero.
"Yes," continued the purser's steward, "I should like to see the fellow who would have done so on shore; however, the time will come when I can hagain pull on my plain coat, and then the insult shall be vashed out in blood, Mr Biggs." "And I'll be cursed if I don't some day teach a lesson to the blackguard who stole my trousers." "Vas hall your money right, Mr Biggs ?" inquired the purser's steward.
"I didn't count," replied the boatswain magnificently.

"No--gentlemen are habove that," replied Easthupp; "but there are many light-fingered gentry about.

The quantity of vatches and harticles of value vich were lost ven I valked Bond Street in former times is incredible." "I can say this, at all events," replied the boatswain, "that I should be always ready to give satisfaction to any person beneath me in rank, after I had insulted him.

I don't stand upon my rank, although I don't talk about equality, damme--no, nor consort with niggers." All this was too plain for our hero not to understand, so Jack walked up to the boatswain, and taking his hat off, with the utmost politeness, said to him-- "If I mistake not, Mr Biggs, your conversation refers to me." "Very likely it does," replied the boatswain.