ur opinion my most serious
consideration. Am I to understand that you are in full and perfect
agreement with Mr Carter in this proposal which he has just made to
me?"

"Most assuredly we are, Mr Grenvile," answered the general. "Captain
Carter is a merchant seaman, and no doubt a very excellent man in that
capacity; but he now finds himself face to face with a difficulty such
as merchant captains are, fortunately, very seldom called upon to face,
and naturally he feels somewhat at a loss. You, on the other hand, are,
by your whole training, well qualified to deal with the situation, and,
in view of the important interests involved, Captain Carter--and we
also--would like you to assume the command."

"Very well," said I, "I will do so, and will use my utmost endeavours to
extricate ourselves from this difficulty. I already have a plan for
dealing with the mutineers when they return, which I think ought to
prove successful, and that, too, without any need for fighting; but I
shall require the assistance of the gentlemen passengers to enable me to
make an imposing display of force."

"That is all right, my boy," answered the general cordially; "we will
willingly place ourselves under your orders without reserve; so tell us
what you would have us do, and we will do it."

"Well," said I, "we may now expect the mutineers to return at any
moment, and we must be ready for them when they appear. I will
therefore ask you all to have your weapons at hand; and when the
longboat heaves in sight the ladies must immediately go below, out of
harm's way, while you distribute yourselves along the bulwarks, with
your firearms levelled at the boat. You must arrange yourselves in such
a manner that the mutineers may be able to see that you are all armed,
and prepared to fight if necessary. By this means I hope to overawe
them and bring them to reason."

I then completed all my arrangements, being careful to take Carter into
my full confidence, and treat him in every respect as master of the
ship, assuming for myself rather the character of his first lieutenant
than anything else--and then all that remained for us to do was to sit
down and patiently await the return of the mutineers. But the time sped
on, the hour of sunset arrived, and darkness fell upon the scene without
any sign of the longboat, and I began to feel somewhat uneasy as to the
safety of the absentees, for we were in a lonely, and, so far as my
knowledge went, a