n the ship I have heard of, when
scarcely one officer was allowed to escape." At length they heard the
morning watch called, and not till then did the mutineers leave the
place. The lads waited till they believed that everybody was on deck,
and then cautiously climbing up the ladder, stole away to their own
hammocks. As the middle watch was only then turning in, they were not
observed, and they lay there till they concluded that all those
surrounding them had gone to sleep. Denham then proposed going and
warning the officers. Ned Davis begged that he himself might go.

"No," said Denham, "I will go alone and tell the commander what I have
heard."

Denham had scarcely got as far as the door of the captain's cabin, now
occupied by the first lieutenant, when the sentry stopped him.

"You cannot pass here," he said, putting him back as he, in his
eagerness, pressed on.

"But I tell you I have a matter of importance to speak to the commander
about," said Denham boldly. "It will be at your own risk if you stop
me."

"You can tell one of the other officers in the gun-room," said the
sentry.

"No; it is for the commanding officer alone," responded Denham. "I will
speak to him only."

Just then the first lieutenant himself appeared at the door.

"I want to speak to you, sir," said Denham eagerly.

"Come in. What is it about?" inquired the first lieutenant.

"If you will go where no one else will hear me, I will tell you, sir."

The lieutenant retired into the inner cabin.

"Now, what is it, my lad?" he asked.

Denham then told him of the plot to which he had become privy, for
taking the ship from the officers. In later days such information would
have been laughed at, but unhappily in those days such occurrences had
become too frequent to allow the commanding officer to disbelieve his
statements.

"Stay here, my lad," said the first lieutenant, "if you go forward
again, and the men suspect you of having informed against them, you will
be among the first victims."

Arming himself with a brace of pistols, and taking his sword in his
hand, he went into the gun-room. He here aroused the officers, and
telling them what he had heard, ordered them immediately to repair on
deck, sending some of them to call up the midshipmen and the warrant
officers. The marines were then ordered to muster on deck under arms,
while several of the petty officers whom it was known could be trusted
were also called aft; a gua