sted amid-ships, swinging by a painter to the schooner's
side. Mr. Duff then directed two pair of oars, a keg of water and some
cooked provisions and bedding to be placed aboard.

"I want you, Ralph, and you, Ben, to go along."

The Ben to whom the mate alluded was a broadfaced Englishman, who had
been the spokesman on the occasion when Gary had made known to the crew
the object and destination of his voyage. He had expressed himself
once or twice since then unfavorably, to his mates, and had been
rebuked by Long Tom in consequence.

Duff disappeared below, but soon returned with three Winchester rifles
and the same number of cutlasses. He handed one of each to the other
two, saying to Ralph:

"I guess you can shoot, can't you? I hear you mountaineers are hard to
beat with a long rifle."

"I can shoot a squirrel's head off with grandfather's old gun four
times out of five. But this here short, double barreled thing don't
look good for much."

Duff laughed, then briefly explained the purpose of the magazine and
showed him how to work the mechanism. Ralph, though still dubious,
said nothing, and resolved to test for himself the wonderful qualities
of the modern breech loader, which the average mountaineer distrusts in
proportion to his ignorance.

The boy noticed that the most of the crew, together with the captain
and first mate, were absent. Only Bludson, with three or four sailors,
were left on board, after Duff and his boatmen were pulling towards the
mouth of the river above.

"Now, lads," said Long Tom, "look alive. We've got to get the hold
ready against cap'n gets back with the first batch. We're rid of the
squeamish ones, I reckon. 'Fore they come in with their meat we'll be
loaded; that is, s'posin' they show up in time."

The boatswain grinned in a knowing, mirthless way, that his assistants
seemed to understand, for they responded in kind. The main hatch was
then opened and an iron grating substituted.

Between the main hold and the cabin was a strong bulkhead with a double
door, strongly barred and padlocked. This was thrown open and a four
pound howitzer mounted in the gangway in such a manner that when the
upper half of the door was thrown open, the gun could rake the hold
from end to end.

Water butts were set up where water could be handed inside by the
bucket. From store rooms on either side of the gangway, long chains
with short fetters attached at intervals were brought out a