we left that place, and we traced
it all to that man, Miles Badham, as he called himself. He was about
thirty, very plausible and insinuating in his manner, a regular
sea-lawyer, a character very dangerous on board ship, and greatly
disliked by most captains. He had managed to gain a considerable
influence over the crew, especially the younger portion. His appearance
was in his favour, and in spite of the qualities I have mentioned, I
would not have supposed him capable of the acts of atrocity which were
with good reason laid to his charge. Ben Stubbs, the second mate, had
charge of the deck one night, and, unable to sleep, I was taking a turn
with him, when Mr Gwynne, the surgeon, came up to us.

"There is something wrong going on among the people below," he
whispered. "I cannot make out what it is exactly, but if we do not look
out we may possibly all have our throats cut before morning."

"You must have been dreaming, Gwynne," answered Stubbs; "there isn't a
man in the ship would dare do such a thing."

"I am not certain of that," I observed; "at all events, let us be on the
right side. Forewarned, forearmed. We will let the captain know, and I
trust that we may thus defeat the plot, whatever it is."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

HOME AGAIN!

I went down into the captain's cabin, and, awakening him, told him what
the surgeon had said.

"Mutiny!" he exclaimed, as he dressed himself with the usual rapidity of
a seaman. "We will soon settle that matter." He stuck his pistols into
a belt he put on for the purpose, and took a cutlass in his hand.
"Here, Braithwaite, arm yourself," he said. "Tell the officers to do so
likewise. We will soon see which of the two, that sea-lawyer or I, is
to command the _Barbara_."

Telling Gwynne and Toby to guard the arm-chest, and Randolph to rally
round him the most trustworthy men on deck, he desired Stubbs and me to
follow him forward. Without a word of warning he suddenly appeared
among the men, who were supposed to be in their berths asleep. Going
directly up to the berth Badham occupied, he seized hold of him and
dragged him on deck, with a pistol pointed at his head, exclaiming at
the same time, "Shoot any one who offers to interfere!"

The captain was very confident that he had the ringleader, and that the
rest would not move without him. "Now!" he exclaimed, when he had got
him on the quarterdeck. "Confess who are your accomplices, and what you
intended to do