st thing to
be done was to scuttle her, and so render it impossible for her to
become a menace to other craft. Accordingly, summoning my two men, who
were below exploring the forecastle and fore peak, I jumped into the gig
and pulled back aboard the _Mercury_, where I arrived just as the
steward was bringing the cabin breakfast aft.

As we sat at table, partaking of the meal, I related to Polson and
Tudsbery all that I had seen and done aboard the Dutchman, and informed
them of the decision at which I had arrived with regard to her,
directing the carpenter to take a boat's crew and his auger immediately
after breakfast, go on board, and scuttle her by boring several holes
through her bottom below the water line. Both men fully agreed with me
that this was the right and proper thing to do; and at the conclusion of
the meal Chips set about the making of his preparations. Somewhat to my
surprise, however, when, a little later, he came aft with his tools, he
was followed by four men, instead of the modest two with which I had
contented myself, who preceded him down the side into the boat. When he
reached the _Braave_, instead of being absent ten minutes, or a quarter
of an hour at the utmost, which would have afforded him ample time to do
all that was necessary, the whole five of them vanished from sight, and
were not again seen until, after the lapse of a full hour or more, they
once more showed themselves on the deck of the derelict, passing a
quantity of things down her side into the boat. Finally, about half an
hour later still, they returned to the _Mercury_, considerably the worse
for drink, and with the boat loaded down to her gunwale with bolts of
canvas, new sails, and other oddments that they had appropriated. Of
course there was no actual harm in their bringing these things away from
the Dutchman, because, had they left them on board, they must have gone
to the bottom with her and thus have been wasted; but I felt that Chips
might as well have paid me the compliment of first mentioning his
intentions to me. I was even more annoyed that the carpenter, occupying
as he did a position of authority--of however shadowy a character--had
not only permitted the men to partake pretty freely of the drink which
they had found, but had evidently not scrupled to partake of it with
them. I came to the conclusion, however, that my remonstrance would be
likely to be a good deal more effective if addressed to him later on,