gier Rose," Phips set
himself to find the sunken treasure. Here and there he
dredged, using every effort to gain information, trying
every spot available, ending now in disappointment, starting
now with renewed hope, continuing with unflagging energy.
His frequent failures would have discouraged a common man,
but Phips was not a common man, and would not accept defeat.

The resolute searcher had more than the difficulties of the
sea-bottom to contend with. His men lost hope, grew weary of
unprofitable labor, and at last rose in mutiny They fancied
that they saw their way clear to an easier method of getting
silver, and marched with drawn cutlasses to the quarterdeck,
where they bade their commander to give up his useless
search and set sail for the South Seas. There they would
become pirates, and get silver without dredging or drudging.

It was a dangerous crisis. Phips stood with empty hands
before that crew of armed and reckless men. Yet choler and
courage proved stronger than sword-blades. Roused to fury,
he rushed upon the mutineers with bare hands, knocked them
down till the deck was strewn with fallen bodies, and by
sheer force of anger and fearlessness quelled the mutiny and
forced the men to return to their duty.

They were quelled, but not conquered. The daring adventurer
was to have a more dangerous encounter with these would-be
pirates. Some further time had passed in fruitless search.
The frigate lay careened beside a rock of a Bahaman island,
some eight or ten men being at work on its barnacled sides,
while the others had been allowed to go on shore. They
pretended that they wished to take a ramble in the tropical
woods. What they wished to do was to organize a more
effectual mutiny, seize the ship, leave the captain and
those who held with him on that island, and sail away as
lawless rovers of the deep.

Under the great trees of that Spanish island, moss-grown and
bowery, in a secluded spot which nature seemed to have set
aside for secret counsels, the mutinous crew perfected their
plans, and signed a round-robin compact which pledged all
present to the perilous enterprise. One man they needed to
make their project sure. They could not do without the
carpenter. He was at work on the vessel. They sent him a
message to come to them in the woods. He came, heard their
plans, affected to look on them favorably, but asked for a
half-hour to consider the matter. This they were not
disposed to grant. The