g the cabin just in time for
dinner.

While taking my after-dinner smoke that afternoon, I carefully
considered the situation as it had now become altered by the fatal
fracas in the forecastle; and--having no desire to be deemed a better
man than I really am--I may as well confess at once that, while I was
profoundly shocked by what had occurred, it was quite impossible for me
to regret it. Indeed, to have done so would have been unnatural, for--
apart altogether from the hardship and anxiety that these men had
already so callously inflicted upon me, and the woman who was infinitely
dearer than life to me--I could not forget that they had all planned and
agreed together in cold blood to deliberately destroy my sweetheart and
myself, not one of them, except Harry--so far as my information went--
possessing even the small modicum of humanity that would have prompted
him to demur at the decision, and to urge the adoption of a less fatally
stringent course. I therefore felt little or no pity for any of the
victims; while, so far as the ultimate escape of Miss Onslow and myself
was concerned, the prospect of such a result was distinctly improved by
the loss, on the part of our enemies, of two killed and six wounded, of
whom three of the latter were unfit for duty. This reduced the number
of O'Gorman's gang to nine effectives, or, deducting the cook and
steward, a working-party of seven, all told, who would have to be
divided into two watches. As I reflected carefully upon the matter,
looking at it in all its bearings, it seemed that the moment was
opportune for me to endeavour to secure something more than the
intermittent and shadowy authority that I had thus far been permitted to
exercise; and accordingly, when I next visited the forecastle, for the
purpose of taking a look at my patients--which was near the end of the
second dog-watch, that evening--I bluntly directed O'Gorman's attention
to the fact that we were now short-handed, and suggested that I should
take command of one of the watches. He considered the question for some
few minutes, but was suffering altogether too acutely from the smart of
his gashed cheek to be able to reflect very deeply upon any subject, and
at length yielded a rather sulky and surly assent to my proposal, the
more readily, perhaps, since he had no one now left whom he could trust
to take Price's place. I was careful to select for my command the watch
of which the man Harry was a member