wore a small compass attached to his watch chain as a charm; and after I
had made the necessary allowance for variation we soon managed, with the
assistance of this miniature compass and a match, to pick upon a star
low down on the horizon by which we could steer a fairly straight course
for at least a couple of hours, at the expiration of which it would, of
course, be easy to pick another.

Then we arranged the matter of watches. There were four of us in the
boat who were sailors, and my first proposal was that each of us should
take a watch of three hours; but Mr Cunningham would not hear of this.
He was, it appeared, a civil engineer by profession, but he had a
natural love of the sea and all matters pertaining to sea life, and was
quite an enthusiastic amateur yachtsman, with a sufficient knowledge of
the way to handle a boat to justify me fully in entrusting him with
temporary charge of the gig, at least in fine weather; and he insisted
on taking his fair share of whatever work there might be to do. We
therefore decided that he also should be allowed to stand a watch. I
undertook to stand the first watch, from six o'clock to nine; and, this
being arranged, the boatswain, carpenter, and sailmaker at once disposed
themselves for sleep, two upon the thwarts and the third coiled up in
the eyes of the boat, while Cunningham, who declared that he had no
inclination for sleep, placed himself beside me in the sternsheets and
began to chat in a low tone of voice, so that he might not disturb the
others.

Naturally the subject uppermost in our minds was the mutiny, and we
began to talk about it. I happened to express some surprise that
Bainbridge had allowed the doctor to leave the ship, upon which
Cunningham gave vent to a low chuckle of amusement.

"My dear chap," he said, "Bainbridge didn't dare to keep him. He fully
intended to do so at first, and acquainted Morrison with the fact, but
the doctor wouldn't have it at any price--swore that if he were not
allowed to leave with the rest of us he would poison all hands within a
week! After that, Bainbridge was only too glad to let him go."

We continued to chat for some time upon the subject, wondering what
possible motive Bainbridge could have for proceeding to such an extreme
as that of capturing the ship; by what means he had contrived to win the
men over; and how he had managed to do it without exciting the slightest
suspicion, and so on: and then Cunningham be