then we ran, I between two of the others, one of
whom I was conscious was Ellison. A shout sailed down to us from the
bridge, and there was the noise of a revolver shot, but luckily it
missed us, and we gained the companion-way in safety, locked and barred
the door, and knocked on the entrance to the corridor. Lane opened it.

"His Royal Highness, by gum!" he cried excitedly, and for the first
time I was able to recognise my companions. The Prince was there, safe
and scathless, and with him Barraclough, Ellison, and a fourth man, who
was Grant.

Princess Alix rushed on her brother, and was taken to his arms. He
kissed her affectionately.

"Yvonne?" he said.

"She is safe," said the Princess, withdrawing herself. "She it safe,
dear, but frightened."

She spoke in German, and he nodded.

"Ah, she would be frightened. It is no woman's work this, Alix. We must
be tender with her."

"We have done our best," she replied, I thought a little coldly; and at
that a door down the corridor opened, and Mademoiselle herself
appeared.

"Frederic!" she cried ecstatically, and hastened towards us with
graceful movements. "Ah, Frederic, it is cruel to leave me so. I wish I
were back in Paris. Oh, _mon Dieu!_ what a voyage, what a ship!"

As they embraced I turned my head away, for this reunion of lovers was
no sight for public eyes, and as I did so I swept the Princess in my
vision. Her face had fallen dead and chill, and I thought that a little
curl of her lips betrayed some impatience with these demonstrations.
Meanwhile Barraclough was narrating in his deliberate way the
adventures of the party; but I cut him short, only asking one question:

"Where is Legrand?"

"They took him up and carried him forward, but I couldn't say if he
were dead."

"We have no time to lose," I said. "They may attack at any moment, and
we have too much space to defend for comfort."

"Why, we can manage this well enough," said he easily.

"And be starved," said I. "No; we must keep the access to the saloon
and the kitchens, and that means precautions. Look at the windows
through which we may be approached."

"Dr. Phillimore is right," said the Prince in his deep voice. "We must
guard the windows."

"We must close them," said I. "Grant, you can use tools. Ellison, you
and Grant do what you can. There is plenty of woodwork to draw
on--doors and trappings in the cabins. The portholes are useless to the
mutineers, but they can enter by the s