neral fight. Seeing him standing
there fearlessly, made Captain Brisco pause. And that gave the others
time for action.

"What does this mean?" cried Mr. Pertell.

"He is trying to start a mutiny as he did once before!" fairly yelled
Captain Brisco.

"I never started a mutiny before, and I'm not trying to do so now!"
retorted Jack, and he seemed to have lost much of his timid simplicity.
"I tell you the ship is sinking, and we had best take to the boats while
there is time."

"And I tell you that you are wrong!" snarled Captain Brisco. "I order
you below!"

"And I won't go, until I have told these people what is going on here!"
retorted Jack Jepson.

"If that isn't mutiny, I'd like to know what is," cried the captain.

"Well, if that's mutiny, then I'm glad to be a mutineer!" shouted the
old salt, "and any court in the land would uphold me, for I am trying to
save lives, and you're trying to throw 'em away."

"Throw 'em away! What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," replied Jack, and there was significance in his
voice. "I won't say anything about putting to sea in a ship that wasn't
fit--with masts that were nothin' but dry rot, and with pumps that only
half work at best. And I won't say anything about your plot--there isn't
time now. But I will say----"

"A plot!" cried Alice, who, with Ruth, stood near her father.

"Yes, a plot, Miss!" Jack Jepson cried. "I'll tell you about it later.
But now we've got to do something. The water's comin' in fast, and if we
can't stop it, we'll have to take to the boats."

"Look here!" stormed Captain Brisco, and his voice was almost in keeping
with the howl of the gale all about them, and almost as raucous as the
salty spray that flew over everything. "Look here! Who is captain of
this ship?"

"You are," replied Jack quietly enough. He looked the angry man full in
the eye, and the half-raised fist of the commander fell again.

"Then if I'm captain, I'm going to be obeyed!" came next. "I order you
below, Jepson. You're no longer mate of this craft. You're deposed! Hen
Lacomb, I hereby appoint you first mate until my regular one recovers,
and you, Hankinson, you're second mate. Lively now. Jepson, go below,
and if he makes any more trouble, Hen, clap him in irons," he added
significantly.

For a moment there was silence following this announcement--that is, as
much quiet as the storm permitted. Then Alice cried out:

"Father, won't you say something! Mr. Pertell