, and I knew that we
were once more gliding swiftly through the water.

That there was a group of men below me I felt absolutely certain, though
I could see nobody; and at last, when I had come to the conclusion that
I had reached the extreme limit of my strength, and that I must drop,
Jarette spoke suddenly, but in quite a low voice--

"You two stay here by the sky-light, and if any attempt is made to get
on deck, shoot at once. If they are killed, their blood be on their own
heads. Where's young Mr Walters?"

"Why, you left him on guard with the others at the cabin-door," said a
man surlily.

"Fetch him here: I did," said Jarette, and I felt then that I was going
down on the heads of the men below. But I made one more desperate
effort, as I heard the soft footsteps moving off in different
directions; and then almost without a sound I got my arm round the
outside shroud, then one leg round,--how I can hardly tell you now, I
was so exhausted,--and the next minute I had relieved my muscles of the
strain, and was standing there with my feet on the ratlines, my arms
thrust right through and folded round one of the inner ropes, and my
head thrust through as well; safe, I felt, even if I lost my senses and
fainted away.

Fortunately for me, the ship was heeling over now in the opposite
direction, so that my position was easier, and as I half lay, half clung
there, the painful stress on mind and body grew lighter--at least the
bodily stress did, and I began to think more clearly.

It was horrible. The ship then had been seized by the crew, headed by
Jarette. Some of the men had resisted, and were prisoners in the
forecastle; but Bob Hampton had gone over to the side of the mutineers,
and the others were sure to follow. But the worst thing of all was the
knowledge that my brother midshipman was in the mutiny, and keeping
guard over the officers and passengers. And he was a gentleman's son.
Here then was the explanation of his being so friendly with Jarette, and
that was why he and Jarette had been up aloft in the dark.

I shivered at the thought. But the next moment I was seeing something
else clearly, and I guessed at two things which afterwards I found to be
correct. Jarette had traded upon Walters' discontent, and won him over
with, no doubt, great promises, because he would be useful; and of
course I saw it plainly now it had been necessary to fasten the
cabin-doors, and shut the officers in. Mr Frewen wa