Williams would receive the news of the loss; and it was to these
that Rogers had addressed himself.

They did not, however, appear to by any means enter into the spirit of
the thing, hanging back so coldly unresponsive to the mate's jovial
invitation that the latter paused in blank astonishment.

"Why--why--what the--" began Rogers, when he was brusquely interrupted
by one of the men, who stepped forward and said:

"Get somebody else to go in my place, matey. I don't understand man-
huntin', as you calls it, and should only make a poor fist at it, I'm
afraid."

"Same here," said another. "I never done anything of the sort yet, and
don't know how to set about it."

The others were expressing themselves to the same effect, when Williams
darted forward, and, seizing the first speaker roughly by the collar,
savagely demanded:

"Look here, you scoundrel, do you mean to say that you _won't_ go?"

"Ay, ay, shipmate, that's just exactly what I _do_ mean," was the
answer, given good-naturedly enough. "But take your hand off my
collar," the man continued more sternly. "Two can play at that game,
you know; and I doubt whether you are man enough to thrash me."

Williams, white as death with passion, prudently withdrew his hand from
the man's collar, and stepped back a pace or two.

"What does this mean?" he demanded. "Are you going to mutiny, men,
before our cruise has even commenced?"

An insolent laugh greeted this inquiry; and the man who had just spoken
answered:

"Call it what you like, Cap'n Josh; mutiny is as good a name for it as
any other, I reckon. And what I mean is, that I, for one, ain't goin'
ashore on no man-huntin' expedition. There was nothing said about man-
huntin' when the articles for this here cruise was drawed up; and what I
say is, if Tom Nicholls wants to cut and run, let him do it."

"Ay, ay; so says I," added another of the men. "He never entered into
the thing with no spirit, anyhow; and if he'd rather be ashore there
than makin' his fortune aboard here with us, why, let him stay ashore,
says I. `No manhuntin'' is my sentiments."

Several of the other men now declared themselves to the same effect,
whereupon Williams, finding himself in the minority, said, with as
perfect an assumption of indifference as he could command at the moment:

"Very well, lads; just as you please. It was of you, not of myself,
that I was thinking. The work will be so much the heavier for you if
Nich