we failed to prove that Thompson was the rascal Jim had told
us he was. On the other hand, if we failed, there was the absolute
certainty of being at the mercy of the rascal's cruelty, unless Trunnell
would be able to control them all.

The little mate was a strange character. He believed in obeying orders
under any conditions whatever, unless absolute proof could be had that
the one who gave the orders was unauthorized to do so. In spite of his
friendship for me, I knew full well that he would die rather than disobey
the captain, no matter what the order was, provided he considered it a
legitimate one. The fact that the men had committed horrible crimes did
not in any manner disinherit them from the ship in his opinion. They
should be dealt with afterward according to the law.

I took no part in an argument. Neither did Trunnell or the skipper. They
both seemed satisfied of their position and took no pains to talk to the
men as if they suspected a rising. I stood in the waist and remained
looking steadily at the horizon until the sun dipped, and there was every
prospect that night would come before we raised the black mast of the
wreck. My pistol was in my pocket ready for instant use, and I saw by the
bunch under Chips' coat that he was also ready. His small black mustache
was worked into points under the pressure of his nervous fingers, and he
sat on the hatch-combings apart from all save Johnson. The sailor walked
athwartships before him on the deck as if to get the stiffness out of his
little legs, which seemed now thinner than ever, as the setting sun shone
between them through the curious gap.

The upper limb of the red sun was just touching the line of water when
the man in the foretop hailed the deck.

"Wreck on weather bow, sir!" he bawled.

My heart gave a great jump and I looked at Chips. Johnson made a movement
with his hand as if holding a knife and went to the weather rail and
looked over.

"Weather maintopsail brace!" came the call from Trunnell. The men came
tumbling aft and took their places.

"Lee braces, Mr. Rolling," he called again, and I crossed the deck,
knowing that he would jam her as high as he could to make as far to
windward as possible before darkness set in.

We braced her sharper, and she pointed a bit higher, but she could not
quite head up to the black stick that showed above the horizon. The wind,
however, was steady, and under her royals the _Pirate_ was about the
fastest an