g; and so the boats being
secured astern, a strict watch was set, lest the helpless Bates should
attempt to rescue the vessel. During the evening--the excitement
attendant upon the outbreak having passed away, and the magnitude of the
task before them being more fully apparent to their minds--a feeling of
pity for the unfortunate party on the mainland took possession of them.
It was quite possible that the Osprey might be recaptured, in which case
five useless murders would have been committed; and however callous
in bloodshed were the majority of the ten, not one among them could
contemplate in cold blood, without a twinge of remorse, the death of the
harmless child of the Commandant.

John Rex, seeing how matters were going, made haste to take to himself
the credit of mercy. He ruled, and had always ruled, his ruffians not
so much by suggesting to them the course they should take, as by leading
them on the way they had already chosen for themselves. "I propose,"
said he, "that we divide the provisions. There are five of them and
twelve of us. Then nobody can blame us."

"Ay," said Porter, mindful of a similar exploit, "and if we're taken,
they can tell what we have done. Don't let our affair be like that of
the Cypress, to leave them to starve." "Ay, ay," says Barker, "you're
right! When Fergusson was topped at Hobart Town, I heard old Troke say
that if he'd not refused to set the tucker ashore, he might ha' got off
with a whole skin."

Thus urged, by self-interest, as well as sentiment, to mercy, the
provision was got upon deck by daylight, and a division was made. The
soldiers, with generosity born of remorse, were for giving half to the
marooned men, but Barker exclaimed against this. "When the schooner
finds they don't get to headquarters, she's bound to come back and look
for 'em," said he; "and we'll want all the tucker we can get, maybe,
afore we sights land."

This reasoning was admitted and acted upon. There was in the
harness-cask about fifty pounds of salt meat, and a third of this
quantity, together with half a small sack of flour, some tea and sugar
mixed together in a bag, and an iron kettle and pannikin, was placed
in the whale-boat. Rex, fearful of excesses among his crew, had also
lowered down one of the two small puncheons of rum which the store-room
contained. Cheshire disputed this, and stumbling over a goat that had
been taken on board from Philip's Island, caught the creature by the
leg, and