ThentheDoctortoldmetotakethewheelwhilehemadealittlecalculationwithhismapandworkedoutwhatnewcourseweshouldtake. "IshallhavetorunfortheCapaBlancasafterall,"hetoldmewhentheseaman'sbackwasturned."Dreadfulnuisance! ButI'dsoonerswimbacktoPuddlebythanhavetolistentothatfellow'stalkallthewaytoBrazil." Indeedhewasaterribleperson,thisBenButcher. You'dthinkthatanyoneafterbeingtoldhewasn'twantedwouldhavehadthedecencytokeepquiet.ButnotBenButcher. Hekeptgoingroundthedeckpointingoutallthethingswehadwrong. Accordingtohimtherewasn'tathingrightonthewholeship. Theanchorwashitchedupwrong;thehatchesweren'tfasteneddownproperly;thesailswereputonbacktofront;allourknotswerethewrongkindofknots. AtlasttheDoctortoldhimtostoptalkingandgodownstairs.Herefused—saidhewasn'tgoingtobesunkbylandlubberswhilehewasstillabletostayondeck. Thismadeusfeelalittleuneasy.Hewassuchanenormousmantherewasnoknowingwhathemightdoifhegotreallyobstreperous. BumpoandIweretalkingaboutthisdownstairsinthedining-saloonwhenPolynesia,JipandChee-Cheecameandjoinedus.And,asusual,Polynesiahadaplan. "Listen,"shesaid,"IamcertainthisBenButcherisasmugglerandabadman.Iamaverygoodjudgeofseamen,remember,andIdon'tlikethecutofthisman'sjib.I—" "Doyoureallythink,"Iinterrupted,"thatitissafefortheDoctortocrosstheAtlanticwithoutanyregularseamenonhisship?" Youseeithadupsetmequiteagooddealtofindthatallthethingswehadbeendoingwerewrong;andIwasbeginningtowonderwhatmighthappenifweranintoastorm—particularlyasMirandahadonlysaidtheweatherwouldbegoodforacertaintime;andweseemedtobehavingsomanydelays. ButPolynesiamerelytossedherheadscornfully. "Oh,blessyou,myboy,"saidshe,"you'realwayssafewithJohnDolittle.Rememberthat. Don'ttakeanynoticeofthatstupidoldsalt. OfcourseitisperfectlytruetheDoctordoesdoeverythingwrong.Butwithhimitdoesn'tmatter. Markmywords,ifyoutravelwithJohnDolittleyoualwaysgetthere,asyouheardhimsay. I'vebeenwithhimlotsoftimesandIknow. Sometimestheshipisupsidedownwhenyougetthere,andsometimesit'srightwayup.Butyougettherejustthesame. Andthenofcoursethere'sanotherthingabouttheDoctor,"sheaddedthoughtfully:"healwayshasextraordinarygoodluck. Hemayhavehistroubles;butwithhimthingsseemtohaveahabitofturningoutallrightintheend. IrememberoncewhenweweregoingthroughtheStraitsofMagellanthewindwassostrong—" "ButwhatarewegoingtodoaboutBenButcher?"Jipputin."YouhadsomeplanPolynesia,hadn'tyou?" "Yes.WhatI'mafraidofisthathemayhittheDoctorontheheadwhenhe'snotlookingandmakehimselfcaptainoftheCurlew.Badsailorsdothatsometimes. Thentheyruntheshiptheirownwayandtakeitwheretheywant.That'swhatyoucallamutiny." "Yes,"saidJip,"andweoughttodosomethingprettyquick. Wecan'treachtheCapaBlancasbeforethedayafterto-morrowatbest. Idon'tliketoleavetheDoctoralonewithhimforaminute.Hesmellslikeaverybadmantome." "Well,I'vegotitallworkedout,"saidPolynesia."Listen:isthereakeyinthatdoor?" Welookedoutsidethedining-roomandfoundthattherewas. "Allright,"saidPolynesia."NowBumpolaysthetableforlunchandweallgoandhide. Thenattwelveo'clockBumporingsthedinner-belldownhere. AssoonasBenhearsithe'llcomedownexpectingmoresaltbeef. Bumpomusthidebehindthedooroutside. ThemomentthatBenisseatedatthedining-tableBumposlamsthedoorandlocksit.Thenwe'vegothim.See?" "Howstratagenious!"Bumpochuckled."AsCicerosaid,parrotscumparishionersfacilimecongregation.I'lllaythetableatonce." "YesandtakethatWorcestershiresauceoffthedresserwithyouwhenyougoout,"saidPolynesia."Don'tleaveanylooseeatablesaround. Thatfellowhashadenoughtolastanymanforthreedays. Besides,hewon'tbesoinclinedtostartafightwhenweputhimashoreattheCapaBlancasifwethinhimdownabitbeforewelethimout." Soweallwentandhidourselvesinthepassagewherewecouldwatchwhathappened. AndpresentlyBumpocametothefootofthestairsandrangthedinner-belllikemad. Thenhehoppedbehindthedining-roomdoorandweallkeptstillandlistened. Almostimmediately,THUMP,THUMP,THUMP,downthestairstrampedBenButcher,theableseaman. Hewalkedintothedining-saloon,sathimselfdownattheheadofthetableintheDoctor'splace,tuckedanapkinunderhisfatchinandheavedasighofexpectation. Then,BANG!Bumposlammedthedoorandlockedit. "ThatsettlesHIMforawhile,"saidPolynesiacomingoutfromherhiding-place. "Nowlethimteachnavigationtotheside-board.Gosh,thecheekoftheman! I'veforgottenmoreabouttheseathanthatlumberingloutwilleverknow.Let'sgoupstairsandtelltheDoctor. Bumpo,youwillhavetoservethemealsinthecabinforthenextcoupleofdays." AndburstingintoarollickingNorwegiansea-song,sheclimbeduptomyshoulderandwewentondeck. 
