ful tone; for in proportion as he
became more mutinous, he felt that he could afford to become more
deferential. "The captain's last orders to you were to remain where you
are; I heard him give them, and I do not feel it my duty to disobey him
at _your_ bidding. You'll find, too, that the crew are of my way of
thinking."

Manton's face flushed crimson, and, for a moment, he felt inclined to
seize a handspike and fell the refractory second mate therewith; but the
looks of a few of the men who were standing by and had overheard the
conversation convinced him that a violent course of procedure would do
him injury. Swallowing his passion, therefore, as he best could, he
said:

"Come, Mr. Scraggs, I did not expect that _you_ would set a mutinous
example to the men; and if it were not that you do so out of respect for
the supposed orders of the captain, I would put you in irons at once."

Scraggs smiled sarcastically at this threat, but made no reply, and the
mate continued:

"The captain did indeed order me to remain where we are; but I have
since discovered that the black dogs have attacked the Christian
settlement, as it is called, and you know as well as I do that Gascoyne
would not let slip the chance to pitch into the undefended village of
the niggers, and pay them off for the mischief they have done to us more
than once. At any rate, I mean to go round and blow down their log huts
with Long Tom; so you can go ashore if you don't like the work."

Manton knew well, when he made this allusion to mischief formerly done
to the crew of the Foam, that he touched a rankling sore in the breast
of Scraggs, who in a skirmish with the natives some time before had
lost an eye; and the idea of revenging himself on the defenseless women
and children of his enemies was so congenial to the mind of the second
mate, that his objections to act willingly under Manton's orders were at
once removed.

"Ha!" said he, commencing to pace to and fro on the quarter-deck with
his superior officer, while the men made the necessary preparations for
the intended assault, "that alters the case, Mr. Manton. I don't think,
however, that Gascoyne would have taken advantage of the chance to give
the brutes what they deserve; for I must say he does seem to be
unaccountably chicken-hearted. Perhaps it's as well that he's out of the
way. Do you happen to know where he is, or what he's doing?"

"Not I. No doubt he is playing some sly game with this Bri