fther those poor fellows ourselves, an' at once,
too!"

"Do quickly, sir doctor," said the colonel, "and I only wish I could
come with you! but--"

"Now jist you shtop where ye are, me friend," rejoined Garry, putting
out his hand to prevent his stirring from his seat. "Sure the cap'en
an' me, with Dick Haldane here, will be enough to look afther 'em all."

With this he made for the companion-way and descended the "stairs," as
Elsie, ignorant of nautical nomenclature, called the ladder, the skipper
following close behind him.

On getting to the bottom we found the panels of the door smashed in,
though of hard oak, strengthened with cross battens of the same stout
wood, which showed to what fierce assault it had been subjected, the
furniture piled up against it from within having duly prevented the
negroes from finally forcing an entrance, as well, no doubt, as our
appearance on the scene.

This barricade had, however, been now partly removed, probably to allow
of little Elsie's exit, and, quickly pitching the remaining obstacles
aside, the three of us managed to squeeze ourselves inside the cabin,
which was in such a state of confusion, with the long table overturned
to serve as a breastwork for the gallant defenders and the settees and
lockers turned away from the deck, as well as the glass of the skylight
all smashed, that it looked like a veritable "Hurrah's vest" as we
sailors say.

On a pile of cushions belonging to the lounge aft--the only piece of
furniture that was left intact in the place, I believe--lay the brave
men who had stubbornly held the ship to the last against the mutineers.

All were covered with blood and blackened by powder and so utterly worn
out from fatigue in battling throughout the night and day that had
almost elapsed since the colonel had left them, besides being crippled
by the injuries they had received in the fray, that they hardly moved on
our entrance, though one--a little chap whom I judged to be the
Englishman spoken of by the colonel and Elsie--brightened up as we bent
over him, a look of satisfaction and content stealing over his drawn and
haggard face, as we cauld see from the rays of the setting sun streaming
down through the broken skylight, exposing the utter desolation around.

He was the first to speak.

"I'm afeard you've come too late for us, sirs," said he slowly, with a
deep groan of pain. "Those damned niggers have done for me, one of them
giving me a dig of