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"Call aft the men whom we selected as a guard, Mr Shobbrok," whispered the captain "Let the officers arm themselves, but keep out of sight in the cabin, ready to act if necessary." The mate had agreed on a private signal with the trustworthy men. He was to let fly the mizzen-royal, when they were to come aft on the pretence of hauling in the sheet.
One marine private, in the ship to which I belonged, returning from liberty on shore, was heard saying to another with drunken impressiveness, "Remember, our motto is, 'Patriotism and laziness." Of course, this went round the ship, greatly delighting on both counts our marine officers, and became embodied in the chaff that passed to and fro between the two corps; of which one saying, "The two most useless things in a ship were the captain of marines and the mizzen-royal," deserves for its drollery to be committed to writing, now that mizzen-royals have ceased to be.
The mizzen-royal, which had been sent down at nightfall, remained on deck, and the mate had lowered it on to their first raft. The framework having been formed, he once more sprang up on deck. "You remain, Walter; I will be back in a moment," he sang out. Walter was very anxious while he was gone, for he had not forgotten what Mr Shobbrok had said about the magazine.
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