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"Haul these brutes down below!" said Jarette, fiercely; and in a slow surly way first one and then the other was dragged to the hatchway and lowered down, with scant attention to any injuries which might accrue.
"We are not all here," and I glanced round, but it was too dark to make anything out below where the light of the lanterns was cast outward in quite a straight line, well defined against the blackness below, which looked solid. "Not all there, doctor? Oh, I forgot," said Jarette. "Wait a minute."
"Then you all broke my orders," cried Jarette, hastily now, "and you shall all see how I punish a man for breaking my orders." I looked on as if spellbound, forgetting the boat and my mission as I crouched there in the dark, feeling that a tragedy was at hand, though I could not grasp all and divine that this was the crowning-point of the mutiny.
I could see Jarette seated in the stem of one of them, as they came on abreast, making straight for the port-gangway abaft the main-mast; and my breath came thick and fast, for the fight was about to begin, and I felt that we could not expect much mercy at the hands of the leader of the men.
And look here, are you making this announcement of your own free will, or are you forced by that contemptible mongrel knave to deliver his insolent message?" "There is no compulsion, captain, and no need for you to call names, without you wish to be punished for your insolence. I am Captain Jarette, sir, and this is my good ship, these are my good brave men. Brave enfans do you hear, bons enfans.
Directly after, as I still held on to the line, and felt some one's hot breath against my cheek, there was a glow of light overhead, and Jarette cried "Here, cut this line." Then the rope jarred heavily and was jerked. The next instant it gave way, and the strain I had maintained upon it was gone.
"If ever I get a chance, I will, if it's only for the sake of seeing you get your deserts, you miserable hound!" I cried. "No, I'm not fit to be trusted, Jarette," I cried, now quite beside myself with rage and pain; "and don't let that miserable cur come near me, or I shall try to do him some mischief." "Do you hear, lieutenant?" said Jarette, with a sneering laugh.
You see, before the mutiny began, Jarette set some one, as I heard afterward, to smuggle all the cartridges and weapons he could out of the cabins and from the captain's locker." "Yes, we found out that had been done. Who did they send?" Bob Hampton chuckled. "Why, you know, sir." "Not Mr Walters?"
I saw Jarette bend down to the moaning man, for two of the crew held lanterns over him; and then, as they were all crowding down the hatchway, I hurried into the cabin, closed the door after me, and going to the window, I leaned out, and called in a whisper to Mr Brymer, but there was no answer.
That there was a group of men below me I felt absolutely certain, though I could see nobody; and at last, when I had come to the conclusion that I had reached the extreme limit of my strength, and that I must drop, Jarette spoke suddenly, but in quite a low voice "You two stay here by the sky-light, and if any attempt is made to get on deck, shoot at once.
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