asperating, following upon his fawning sycophancy.

"Any fool would know that he would die."

"Well, now that we've landed, I don't see as there is any need of a
mate or a captain neither, with this crew--do you, boys?"

And he turned toward his companions with a laugh.

"Of course not. The best place for him is in Davy Jones' locker!" said
Redvignez.

"Now you is talkin' right!" was the characteristic comment of the
negro, Pomp, who seemed the most eager of the three, when the mutiny
had come to a head.

It was evident that Brazzier had determined to drown the mate while he
was below the surface.

"The first man who interferes with those pipes I will shoot dead!"

Captain Bergen spoke the words in a low voice, but there could be no
mistaking his deadly earnestness. Feeling that the crisis had come,
the captain determined to give the signal agreed upon with Abe Storms,
which was a sudden jerk of the rope fastened to the one around the
waist of the mate. The latter would understand that his presence above
was needed at once.

The captain was in the act of stooping over, when Redvignez sprang
behind him with the stealth and agility of a cat, and struck his arm a
violent blow. His purpose was to knock the revolver out of the
captain's hand, so that he and his friends could secure the use of it.
But he overdid the matter, for the revolver went spinning out of the
captain's hand and dropped into the water, where it sank out of sight.
Startled and shocked, he straightened up without giving the signal to
Abe Storms below the surface.

None of the party had any firearms, but Captain Bergen saw it would be
madness for him to make any resistance. Without a moment's hesitation,
therefore, he wheeled about and ran with all the speed of which he was
capable.

His flight was not altogether an aimless one, for he hoped to reach
the schooner, lying an eighth of a mile away, far enough in advance of
his pursuers to seize one of the rifles carefully concealed there, and
to make defense against his foes. The instant he broke into a run, his
pursuers did the same, uttering loud shouts, as if they were American
Indians who were certain of their prey.

For the time, it was a question of speed between pursuers and pursued.
If the latter could reach the craft considerably ahead of the others,
there was a chance of his making a successful defense against the
three who were seeking his life. If he failed to attain the goal, he
fe