It was a hard moment,
but I was able to rise with some show of dignity.
I was hurt through and through, but my fighting
blood was stirring.
``No,'' I said, ``Captain Sears has the floor. Let
him say now all he wishes to say, for it is the last
time he will ever speak at one of our meetings.''
Captain Sears, whose exertions had already made
him apoplectic, turned a darker purple. ``What's
that?'' he shouted. ``What d'ye mean?''
``I mean,'' I replied, ``that I do not intend to
allow you or anybody else to interfere with my
meetings. You are a sea-captain. What would
you do to me if I came on board your ship and
started a mutiny in your crew, or tried to give you
orders?''
Captain Sears did not reply. He stood still, with
his legs far apart and braced, as he always stood
when talking, but his eyes shifted a little. I answered
my own question.
``You would put me ashore or in irons,'' I re-
minded him. ``Now, Captain Sears, I intend to
put you ashore. I am the master of this ship. I
have set my course, and I mean to follow it. If
you rebel, either you will get out or I will. But
until the board asks for my resignation, I am in
command.''
As it happened, I had put my ultimatum in the
one form the old man could understand. He sat
down without a word and stared at me. We sang
the Doxology, and I dismissed the meeting. Again
we had omitted prayers. The next day Captain
Sears sent me a letter recalling his subscription tow-
ard the support of the church; and for weeks he
remained away from our services, returning under
conditions I will mention later.
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