arly time for the change of watches, and when I returned to the
deck I saw that Mott was already on the bridge. He listened to our story
with plain incredulity.

"I know nothing about this man Bothwell, but say the word and I'll go
down and haul him on deck for you, Captain Blythe," he offered,
contemptuously.

"You don't understand the situation. He's as dangerous as a mad dog."

"I've yet to see the first stowaway I couldn't bring to time. They're a
chicken-hearted lot, take my word for it."

"He isn't a stowaway at all in the ordinary sense of the word. I'll be
plain, Mr. Mott. We're after treasure, and Bothwell means to get it. The
crew are with him."

"Slap doodle bugs!" retorted our first officer. "I make nothing at all
of your story, captain. Thirty years I've sailed this coast and I've
yet to see my first mutiny. Haul up this fellow Bothwell and set him
swabbing decks. If he shows his teeth, give him a rope's end or a
marlinspike. I'll haze him for you a-plenty."

I could have smiled at Mott's utter lack of appreciation of our dilemma
if his bull-headed obstinacy had not been likely to cost us so much.

"You don't understand the man with whom we have to deal, Mr. Mott. He
sticks at nothing," I explained.

"Beg pardon, Mr. Sedgwick. He'd stick at deck swabbing if I stood over
him with a handspike," the burly mate answered grimly. "Truth is,
gentlemen, I don't think that of your mutiny." And he snapped his
fingers with a complacent laugh. "Mind you, I don't deny the men are a
bit unsettled, what with all this talk of treasure that's going around.
What they need is roughing and, by the jumping mercury, Johnny Mott is
the man to do it!"

There are none so blind as those who will not see. We could not even
persuade Mott to accept a revolver. He had made up his mind that the
whole thing was nothing more or less than a mare's nest.

"What do you know of the men?" I urged. "Take our engineers. We picked
up the Flemings on the wharf because we needed engineers in a hurry.
The day before we sailed I saw George Fleming on the wharf talking to
this man Bothwell. They are working together against us."

"What of it? Let them work. But don't go to dreaming about mutiny, Mr.
Sedgwick. You ask what I know of the crew. By your leave, I know this
much. I've bullied American seamen for thirty years come next November,
and there's not an ounce of mutiny in a million of them."

And at that we had to let it go for the pr