lacing his hand on the bridge
rail to steady himself, for the _Motutapu_ was now plunging and
labouring in the heavy head sea, and Hendry was staggering about all
over the bridge--"very well. But I call on Mr. Atkins here to witness
that I now tell you that you are putting the ship into great danger."

"Say another word to me, and by God I'll put you with your friend
Carr to keep him company!" shouted Hendry, who had now completely lost
control of himself.

Oliver smiled contemptuously, but made no answer. He at once descended
the bridge, and in the starboard alleyway met the chief engineer.

"This is a nice state of affairs, Oliver. Those blackguards of mine are
half-drunk, and unless I get some assistance from the captain I can't
keep up steam. They won't work and are saucy as well."

The mate shook his head. "You'll get no help from the captain. He and I
have just had a flare-up. He's half-drunk himself, and threatened to
put me in irons. And none of the native crew will go into the stokehole,
that's certain."

"Well then, something serious will happen. I can keep her going at four
or five knots for another hour or so, and that is all I can do. The
second engineer and myself are dead-beat. She'll broach-to presently,
and then you will see a pretty mess."

"I can't help it, Morrison," said the mate gloomily, as he went to his
cabin.

Up on the bridge Hendry and Chard were talking and looking out ahead.
The second mate, a young, muscular man, was standing by the wheel, and
giving a word of warning now and then to the native helmsman, who was
Huka. Although it was not blowing hard the sea had increased greatly,
and every now and then the steamer would make a plunge into a mighty
valley of darkness, and only struggle up out of it with difficulty.
Careful steering was a necessity, for the ship was not steaming more
than four knots, and the least inattention might result in serious
consequences.

"Look out for'ard!" Atkins shouted, as he saw a particularly loose,
knobby sea rise suddenly up over the starboard bow. His warning was
just given in time, for in another moment down dropped the black mass
of water on the well deck with a thundering crash, burying the steamer
completely from the bridge to foc'scle head. She rose slowly, very
slowly.

Hendry lurched up towards the helmsman.

"You damned, red-hided kanaka! Couldn't you see that coming?" and he
struck the man a violent blow on the mouth. In an instant Hu