236 NLMBOD OF TBE SEA; OB, 



was with a troubled spirit that the young sailor turned the 

 "pages, not so much to i:ead the. words, which were graven on 

 his memory through much* study, as to impress on the good 

 fellows about him the consequences of any error of judg- 

 ment. The thought came distinctly to him: In resisting 

 your officers, you break a law ; if you resist with violence, it 

 becomes mutiny ; and' if violence is let loose, who may re- 

 strain it ? To succeed you become pirates, and stand out- 

 side the pale of human protection. How can we, then, save 

 Bingham from the lash (that of course was a settled thing) 

 without getting the whole ship's crew into greater trouble ? 

 Such was the burden of my great concern. To do this 

 it must be made to appear that we restrain the captain 

 within the law, and use only such force as may be needful 

 to prevent his committing an illegal act of violence upon 

 one of the mien ; and that, rendering cheerful obedience to 

 lawful orders, we would resist unlawful assaults on our per- 

 sons. " Well, my boy, what do you make of it ?" asked old 

 Tom, as the boy closed the book and looked around the 

 company. The men were very quiet ; not a word had been 

 spoken ; and he read in the eyes of all a settled resolve to 

 fight the thing to the bitter end, if need be. So he wasted 

 no words, but replying to the question, said : 



"Mates, there is nothing in the law that authorizes the 

 captain of a whale-stip to seize up and flog one of the crew. 

 The lash is repealed on men-of-war, and is not permitted on 

 whale-ships. He may iron, imprison, and carry an offender 

 into port, to be tried for his offense ; that is all. And I be- 

 lieve we may rightfully restrain the captain from illegal vio- 

 lence on our shipmate." 



" That's right law, and straight to the point," said Tom, 

 enthusiastically. " And so far as in me lies, by the Lord 

 above us ! -a shipmate shall not be flogged." And a solemn 

 amen ratified his resolution. 



