l fury,
that I am convinced they would have refused to go to the guns had we
encountered an enemy. It may easily be imagined how difficult and
anxious a task it was for the officers to carry on the duty of the ship
under such circumstances as these.

It had by this time become clear to everybody--excepting, apparently,
Captain Pigot himself--that the existing state of affairs could not
possibly last much longer; and at length the first lieutenant,
recognising the gravity of the situation, took it upon himself to invite
the second and third lieutenants and the master to a consultation in his
own cabin, the result of which consultation was a resolve to adopt the
extreme measure of making a collective representation and appeal to the
skipper. This being decided, it was determined to carry out the resolve
on that same evening, the time to be during the first dog-watch, it
being Captain Pigot's habit to retire to his cabin after eight bells had
been struck, and to devote an hour or so to reading before dinner.

Accordingly, no sooner had the skipper left the deck than I was
despatched by Mr Reid to apprise Mr Douglas, Mr Maxwell, and Mr
Southcott of the fact, and to state that the first lieutenant awaited
them on the quarter-deck. We midshipmen had of course been left in the
dark as to the proposed interview; but the message of which I was the
bearer was of so very unusual a character that I at once suspected there
must be something out of the common in prospect; and when, a few minutes
later, I saw the four principal officers of the ship march with
portentously solemn faces into the cabin, I determined that, right or
wrong, I would know what was in the wind.

Fortunately for my purpose it was my watch below, and my absence from
the deck would consequently not be noticed. It took me but a moment to
form my plans, and not much more to execute them. The ship had a full
poop, under which the captain's cabin was situated; the weather was
warm, and all the ports were open. Slipping off my shoes and thrusting
them beneath a gun, where they were not likely to be discovered, I made
my way in my stockings up on to the poop, which was entirely deserted,
and at once slipped over the side into the mizzen channels. The lid of
one of the ports was then immediately beneath me, and I knew beforehand
that there was just room for me to squeeze in upon it, where, though my
attitude must be somewhat constrained, I should be perfectly c