ings began to go bad they had you mixed in it so I
took you for one of 'em. They had me flat aback for a time there--I
didn't know my own name from Sally Ann's black cat. It looked like the
whole ship was against me, and, when I saw Harris go, I was clean
out of soundings."

I told him that he had realized the danger better than I did, and that I
had not been hampered by the sense of responsibility or the possibility
of disgrace.

"Oh, I lost my wits for a time there, and we can't get away from it--I
was all fuddled, but I'll show ye I've got more fight in me than ye look
for, if ye'll see me through with it."

"All or nothing," I said. "We'll give him a gamble for the whole pot now,
and I think it's time they got a run for their money. In my way of
thinking they have had it too easy."

"That's business," said Riggs. "Doggone my cats, but we'll give 'em some
lead to go with the gold or my name ain't Riggs! We'll find out if this
Devil's Admiral, or Thirkle, or the Rev. Luther Meeker, or whatever he
calls himself, is so bad as he makes out to be--eh, Mr. Trenholm?"

We shook hands on the compact, lying there on the sizzling iron
deck-plates that reflected the rays of the sun in shimmering heat-waves,
making our exposed position intolerable after the thirst and smoke and
hunger we had endured in the forecastle.

"Then that's settled, Mr. Trenholm. Now we'll have to step careful until
I look up what's left of the weapons, and we can't know what traps
they've laid for us about here. Come on, and keep close."

We scrambled along the port side, taking care of our footing, for the
rail-chains were stripped off the stanchions, and with the deck at an
awkward angle there was danger of slipping into the water. Captain
Riggs led the way up the saloon-deck ladder and we entered the passage.

The captain and Rajah went to his cabin, the first door, and I ran aft to
my stateroom, hoping to find my pistols. The room was ransacked and my
bag empty and the pistols gone. Some of my garments were thrown into the
passage, and I got a duck suit, a pair of deck-shoes, and a cap.

"Here are my guns," said Riggs. "Had 'em stowed down back of the
chart-locker--three of 'em--and you'll find a canister of ammunition
for that big gun of yours in Mr. Harris's room. That gives us two guns
apiece, and I guess we can give 'em some lively times if we come across
their bows again."

We belted on the weapons and hurried into the saloon, which