peak signed on for duty
here, away with you on deck and get those four other beauties up out of
the boat."

Dayton-Philipps touched his hat and grinned. "Ay, ay, sir," he said, and
went back up the companion.

Shortly afterward he came to report the men on board, and Kettle
addressed his late opponent. "Now, look here, young man, I don't want to
have more trouble on deck before the hands. Have you had enough?"

"For the present, yes," said the third mate huskily. "But I hope we'll
meet again some other day to have a bit of further talk."

"I am sure I shall be quite ready. No man ever accused me of refusing a
scrap. But, me lad, just take one tip from me: don't you go and make
Captain Image anxious by saying this ship isn't seaworthy, or he'll
begin to ask questions, and he may get you to tell more than you're
proud about."

"You can go and get drowned your own way. As far as I am concerned, no
one will guess it's coming off till they see it in the papers."

"Thanks," said Kettle. "I knew you'd be nice about it."

The third mate went down to his boat, and the three rowers took her
across to the _M'poso_, where she was hauled up to davits again. The
steamer's siren boomed out farewells, as she got under way again, and
Kettle with his own hands unbent the reversed ensign from the ship's
main rigging, and ran it up to the peak and dipped it three times
in salute.

He breathed more freely now. One chance and a host of unknown dangers
lay ahead of him. But the dangers he disregarded. Dangers were nothing
new to him. It was the chance which lured him on. Chances so seldom came
in his way, that he intended to make this one into a certainty if the
efforts of desperation could do it.

Alone of all the six men on the derelict, Captain Kettle had knowledge
of the seaman's craft; but, for the present, thews and not seamanship
were required. The vessel lay in pathetic helplessness on her side,
liable to capsize in the first squall which came along, and their first
effort must be to get her in proper trim whilst the calm continued. They
knocked out the wedges with their heels, and got the tarpaulins off the
main hatch; they pulled away the hatch covers, and saw beneath them
smooth slopes of yellow grain.

As though they were an invitation to work, shovels were made fast along
the coamings of the hatch. The six men took these, and with shouts
dropped down upon the grain. And then began a period of Homeric toil.
The firema