f, the darkey had listened--thereby indulging a propensity which
was Master Snowball's weak point, that of being inordinately curious
about other people's business!

He listened, however, to some purpose on this occasion, for he heard
enough to learn that a large proportion of the crew intended, as soon as
they saw a favourable opportunity, to seize the long-boat--which
contained nearly all the provisions that had been got up from the hold--
and desert the ship before morning.

What was their intention in doing this the cook could not guess, but he
imagined that they must have thought that they would perhaps have to
work to save the cargo if they remained on board, whereas if they went
off, as they planned, they would escape all supervision from the
officers and be under their own control. Besides, he knew that Moody
was anxious to pay off the grudge he had against the captain, for he
heard him specially chuckle over the fact that if they took away the
long-boat, the "old man" would never be able to leave the ship with all
the remaining hands and the passengers, and the rest of them would all
thus "sink together, and a good job too," as the bloodthirsty ruffian
said.

Primed with this news, Snowball at first hardly knew how to make use of
it for the benefit of those the mutineers intended to abandon; for, the
men were all hanging about the galley, where he pretended to be asleep,
and if he attempted to go aft then, where nothing was stirring and when
no one called him there, it would have at once aroused their suspicions
and, probably, precipitated matters.

Snowball was in a quandary. He could see no way of warning the
unsuspecting captain; and yet, even while he waited, the cowardly gang
who thus purposed to desert their shipmates might carry out their
intention!

Presently, he heard Captain Dinks tell the mates and starboard watch
that they might go below, and Mr McCarthy and the others went to their
cabins aft while the "star-bowlines" tumbled down the main hatchway, all
glad to have a spell of rest and be out of the bitter cold night wind
which almost seemed to freeze their bones and pierce them through and
through.

"Its just like the grinding old tyrant," he heard Moody mutter at this
to another of his gang, "to keep us here on deck when there ain't no
need for it!" But Snowball was quick to notice that, when the captain
subsequently called out that all the rest of the hands might turn in if
they liked