he girl-mate sure if he's afloat."

"There's no use av makin' any bones av the matther, Mr. Trunnell," said
Chips. "That third mate an' the murderin' devil ain't comin' aboard this
here ship. Ef they do, I'll kill them meself whin they comes over th'
side." And he arose, lugging out the revolver he had taken from the
ruffian at the close of the fight.

I stepped into my room and brought forth my own, handing Chips some
cartridges for his.

"I think the men will stand to us in the matter, Trunnell," I said.

The little mate looked sorrowfully at us both, and shook his great
head slowly.

"'Tain't no use o' makin' a fuss," he said at last. "Discipline is
discipline, an' you knows it. If the captain wants them fellows aboard,
aboard they comes, and no one here kin stop them. There's only one
captain to a ship. When his orders don't go, there's blood an' mutiny an'
piracy an' death aboard. Put up your guns. Don't let's say no more about
it till we raise them, for maybe they're gone under by this time. We
won't reach the wreck anyways afore night."

It happened as he said. When we went on deck, the _Pirate_ had swung her
yards and was standing along in the direction we had come. Thompson, or
rather Jackwell, walked fore and aft on the weather side of the poop, and
gazed at each turn at the horizon ahead. A lookout was posted in the
foretop, while the rest of the men lounged about the decks and discussed
the situation and the tragedy of the day before.

Chips was for open mutiny, and Johnson backed him. All our men were in
sympathy with us, and some were so outspoken that they could be counted
on if a fresh fracas occurred. The majority, however, were so well under
control that they appeared to be satisfied to obey orders under any
conditions. The Englishmen were neutral. All except Jenks were silent or
advised the recognition of the established authority, telling how we
could square matters afterward with our enemies.

This shows how a sailor is at the mercy of any one who has been
established in authority. If he resists in any manner, he is mutinous and
is liable to the severest penalties. Here we were with every prospect of
having Andrews and our third mate on board again, to go through some
other horror, unless we turned pirates and took the ship. This was a
risky thing to attempt, for if successful and there was any bloodshed, we
would certainly either swing or pass under a heavy sentence. That is, of
course, if