of a group of
some half a dozen of the crew, with the slush lamp swinging violently
with the motion of the ship, and darting its feeble rays hither and
thither as it hung suspended from a smoky beam overhead. And in that
same instant I caught a momentary glimpse of the forms of Captain
Roberts, Mr Bligh, and Mr Johnson, bound hand and foot, and with gags
in their mouths, huddled up in three of the recently vacated bunks. As
for the supposed fire, there was neither sight nor smell of it.

"What the--" I began. But before I could utter another sound I felt my
head dragged violently back and a big gag thrust between my jaws, while
my arms and legs were at the same instant seized by powerful hands and
lashed so securely that I could not have moved either of them by so much
as an inch, no, not to save my life. The work was done with the speed
and precision that might be expected of men accustomed to the
manipulation of ropes and the tying of knots; and then I was lifted off
my feet and flung with scant ceremony into one of the unoccupied bunks.

"There! that's the last one; the passengers can be left until to-morrer
mornin' to be dealt with," exclaimed a voice which I recognised as that
of "Welshy". "And now, lads," the voice continued, "let's go on deck
and take some of the `muslin' off her; there's no use in strainin' the
hooker all to pieces, and Bainbridge says as we're quite far enough
south a'ready."

Bainbridge! Could it be possible that Bainbridge was mixed up with this
vile conspiracy? For conspiracy it was, clearly enough, to obtain
possession of the ship without the necessity to fight for her; the bound
forms of the skipper and the two mates--to say nothing of myself--proved
it beyond a doubt. And a very cunningly devised scheme it was, too,
ably planned and most efficiently executed--the enticement of the mate
into the forecastle by the suggestion of fire; then, after just the
right lapse of time, the fictitious message to the skipper through me,
followed by the summons of the second mate, and, finally, the capture of
my insignificant self. It was much too subtle a scheme to be evolved by
the uninventive brain of the average British shellback, and I fancied
that I recognised a certain Bainbridge-like neatness of touch and finish
in it all. But perhaps I was prejudiced, for I never liked the fellow.
Yet, if he was not in it, why was he still free, instead of being down
in the forecastle, a captive, li