im and fired, and coincident with the report the
nickel-plated weapon left his hand, whirling high in air before falling
overboard. Billings whinnied in pain, and, rubbing his benumbed hand,
backed aft before the advancing Snelling.

Then, up the companion on a run, came the Captain, a fat cigar in his
mouth and a look of wonder and astonishment on his face. Benson and
Quincy were now in the alley, and again a pistol spoke--Quincy's, this
time--and the fat cigar left the Captain's mouth in two pieces.

"Hands up, all three of you," yelled Quincy, "or we'll shoot to kill!
Found out, haven't you, that we can shoot--some? That's our trade. Up
with your hands!"

Both Captain and mate raised their hands, but the former protested.

"This is mutiny, you scoundrels! D'you know the penalty? Ten years!"

"It won't be ten minutes," answered Quincy. "Call it what you like,
mutiny, burglary, or pistol practice. But I'll tell you what it sure
will be, if you don't come to time. It'll be a pig killing, and
justifiable manslaughter in the courts. I know something about law, and
I've got you for abduction. A man abducted has a right to defend
himself, and I'll kill you if you don't head this boat for land and put
us ashore."

"Yes," added Benson, "and we'll take our prisoner with us, too!"

"Sure," said Quincy. "Bill Rogers goes, too. Come, now, what do you
say?"

"I say, by Gawd," roared the Captain, red in the face with rage and the
strain on his muscles, "that I won't! If this ship goes back, you'll
take her back yourself, with me and my mates under duress. It's ruinous
to agree to such a proposition. I'd lose this ship and never get
another."

"Very well," said Quincy, quietly. "Then we'll put you fellows under
arrest. And if you resist we'll shoot you to pieces. Rogers," he turned
to the smiling helmsman, "can you steer this boat back to the United
States?"

"I can't find New York," answered Rogers; "but the United States is due
west."

"Can you steer due west?"

"Yes; but the yards must be braced. The wind is hauling to the north,
and we could make a fair wind of it."

"Can you attend to this--bracing of the yards?"

"Yes. I've been second mate."

"Right, Benson, go through them all and take away their guns, if they
have any!" Then he raised his voice and called forward to the men, who
had stopped work and were watching curiously the strange scene on the
poop. "One of you fellows get a piece of small rope cord.