“If you please, sir,” continued Jack, “the captain told me that the articles of war were the rules and regulations by which every one in the service was to be guided. Now, sir,” said Jack, “I have read them over till I know them by heart, and there is not one word of mast—heading in the whole of them.” Here Jack took the articles out of his pocket, and unfolded them.
“Will you go to the mast—head, sir, or will you not?” said Mr. Smallsole.
“Will you show me the mast—head in the articles of war, sir?” replied Jack; “here they are.”
“I tell you, sir, to go to the mast—head: if not, I’ll be d—d if I don’t hoist you up in a bread—bag.”
“There’s nothing about bread—bags in the articles of war,” replied Jack; “but I’ll tell you what there is, sir,” and Jack commenced reading—
“All flag officers, and all persons in or belonging to his majesty’s ships or vessels of war, being guilty of profane oaths, execrations, drunkenness, uncleanness, or other scandalous actions, in derogation of God’s honour, and corruption of good manners, shall incur such punishment as—”
“Damnation!” cried the master, who was mad with rage, hearing that the whole ship’s company were laughing.
“No, sir, not damnation,” replied Jack, “that’s when he’s tried above; but according to the nature and degree of the offence.”
“Will you go to the mast—head, sir, or will you not?”
“If you please,” replied Jack, “I’d rather not.”
“Then, sir, consider yourself under an arrest—I’ll try you by a court—martial, by God! Go down below, sir.”
“With the greatest of pleasure, sir,” replied Jack, “that’s all right, and according to the articles of war, which are to guide us all.” Jack folded up his articles of war, put them into his pocket, and went down into the berth.
Soon after Jack had gone down, Jolliffe, who had heard the whole of the altercation, followed him: “My lad,” said Jolliffe, “I’m sorry for all this; you should have gone to the mast—head.”
“I should like to argue that point a little,” replied Jack.
“Yes, so would everybody; but if that were permitted, the service would be at a standstill—that would not do;—you must obey an order first, and then complain afterwards, if the order is unjust.”
“It is not so in the articles of war.”
“But it is so in the service.”
“The captain told me that the articles of war were the guides of the service, and we were all equally bound to obey them.”
“Well, but allowing that, I do not think your articles of war will bear you out. You observe, they say any officer, mariner, etc., guilty of disobedience to any lawful command. Now are you not guilty under that article?”
“That remains to be argued still,” replied Jack. “A lawful command means an order established by law; now where is that law?—besides, the captain told me when I kicked that blackguard down the hatchway,