Havre; and there was no
danger of any suffering for the want of the needed element. The
principal went on deck with the steward, and observed that the wind was
freshening, with a decidedly nasty look to windward. It might not be
possible to go into Cherbourg the next morning with safety; and Mr.
Lowington did not like the idea of being driven into port before the
mutiny had been suppressed. The Josephine was half a mile to windward,
under easy sail; and, in the present state of the sea, it was an easy
matter to communicate with her, as it might not be a few hours later.
He therefore explained the situation to Captain Shuffles,--who was
still on deck with Grace and Paul, too nervous and too anxious to
retire,--and directed him to call all hands.

The boatswain piped the call. Peaks and the head steward at the main
hatch, in accordance with their instructions, would permit none who did
not wear the white ribbon of the Order of the Faithful to come on deck.
Hyde and his party proposed to return to their duty. They had had
mutiny enough, and their leader, speaking for the whole, asked
permission to be reported to the principal. The steward bore the
message to him, while the twelve penitents waited at the ladder. The
runaways remained in their rooms; but Raymond made an ineffectual
effort to induce them to be firm.

"Come up!" said Peaks, when the principal appeared at the hatch, and
gave the order.

"We wish to return to our duty, sir," Hyde began; "we are very sorry
for our disobedience, and are willing to take the consequences."

"How many of you are there?" asked Mr. Lowington.

"Twelve in our party, sir."

"Will you conform, in every respect, to the requirements of the present
occasion?"

"We will, sir."

"But they must join the order," interposed Grace, who had accompanied
Paul to the waist. "They are not entitled to the white ribbon, for they
have come in at the eleventh hour."

Mr. Lowington smiled, and directed the penitents to repair to the
quarter-deck.

"I am so glad they have yielded!" said Grace.

"So am I. You can let them take the second degree to-night," laughed
Paul.

"Yes; and that shall be a blue ribbon. The next ones that come shall
have the yellow ribbon, and be the first degree. That's all the
different colors I have," added Grace, as she hastened to her
state-room to procure the material for the decoration of the penitents,
who were standing before the principal, abaft the mizzen-mas