re men used to desperate enterprises, and
they had flocked to him because they smelled excitement and booty.
Of ordinary merchant seamen there were only a few. When the Duke of
Albemarle had come aboard at Plymouth before they set sail, he had
shrugged his shoulders at the motley crew. To his hint Phips had only
replied with a laugh: these harum-scarum scamps were more to his mind
than ordinary seamen. At heart he himself was half-barbarian. It is
possible he felt there might some time be a tug-of-war on board, but
he did not borrow trouble. Bucklaw had endorsed every man that he
had chosen; indeed, Phips knew that many of them were old friends of
Bucklaw. Again, of this he had no fear; Bucklaw was a man of desperate
deeds, but he knew that in himself the pirate had a master. Besides,
he would pick up in Boston a dozen men upon whom he could depend; and
cowardice had no place in him. Again, the Swallow, commanded by Gering,
was fitted out with New England seamen; and on these dependence could be
put.

Therefore, when there came rumblings of mutiny on the Bridgwater
Merchant, there was faithful, if gloomy, obedience, on the Swallow.
Had there been plenty of work to do, had they been at sea instead of
at anchor, the nervousness would have been little; but idleness begot
irritation, and irritation mutiny. Or had Bucklaw been on deck, instead
of in the surgeon's cabin playing a hard game with death, matters
might not have gone so far as they did; for he would have had immediate
personal influence repressive of revolt. As it was, Phips had to work
the thing out according to his own lights. One afternoon, when Gering
was away with the canoes on the long search, the crisis came. It was
a day when life seemed to stand still; a creamy haze ingrained with
delicate blue had settled on land and sea; the long white rollers slowly
travelled over the Boilers, and the sea rocked like a great cradle.
Indefiniteness of thought, of time, of event, seemed over all; on board
the two ships life swung idly as a hammock; but only so in appearance.

Phips was leaning against the deck-house, watching through his glass
the search-canoes. Presently he turned and walked aft. As he did so the
surgeon and the chief mate came running towards him. They had not time
to explain, for came streaming upon deck a crowd of mutineers. Phips did
not hesitate an instant; he had no fear--he was swelling with anger.

"Why now, you damned dogs," he blurted out, "