might so far modify his arrangements as to
make matters even more difficult for us than they are at present."

"Quite right," approved the general. "I agree with every word that our
young friend here has said. He appears to have got a very good grip of
the situation, and his views accord with my own exactly. We shall
doubtless be obliged to come to fisticuffs with those scoundrels forward
before we can hope to extricate ourselves from this very awkward
situation. But it would be the height of folly to precipitate a fight
before we are fully prepared. And now, gentlemen, I am going up on the
poop. Come with me who will; but I think that, for the present at
least, the ladies had better remain below."

And thereupon he and the five young griffins made their way up on deck
at short intervals, while Mr Morton and I did our best to comfort and
encourage the weaker members of the party. Not that they needed very
much encouragement--I will say that for them,--for, with the exception
of poor little Mrs Morton, who was very much more anxious and
frightened on behalf of her children than on her own account, the ladies
showed a very great deal more courage than I had looked for from them;
while, as for Mrs Jennings and Miss Duncan, they very promptly came
forward to say that if there was any way in which they could possibly
render assistance I was not to hesitate to make use of them.

While we were all still talking together in the saloon, Briggs, the
chief steward, entered in a state of great indignation, and, addressing
himself to Carter, informed him that the men demanded fried ham and
various other dainties from the cabin stores for breakfast, and upon his
venturing to remonstrate with them had darkly hinted that unless he
produced the required provisions at once, together with several bottles
of rum, it would be the worse for him.

"What do you say, Mr Grenvile?" demanded Carter, appealing to me.
"Shall we let them have what they ask for?"

"Certainly," I said, "seeing that at present we are not in a position to
refuse them and make good our refusal. Let them have whatever they ask
for, but be as sparing as you possibly can with the grog; we do not want
them to have enough to make them quarrelsome, or to render them unfit to
go ashore."

"It goes mightily against the grain with me to serve out those good
cabin stores to such a pack of drunken loafers as them, sir,"
remonstrated Briggs.

"Never mind," said I. "