voyage as vessel ever made.

Had Captain Swift's health been equal to his gallantry and tact all
might even yet have gone well. But he came on board ill, and two days
after we sailed he was confined to his berth with a dangerous relapse,
and the fate of the _Zebra_ was left in the hands of the worst possible
man for the duty--Mr Adrian, the first lieutenant.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

MUTINY.

A week of light and fickle winds brought us through the Channel and well
on our way to Yarmouth Roads, off which we understood Admiral Duncan was
lying. As we passed the Downs, strange and ugly rumours of trouble
ahead met us. One night, as we lay anchored waiting for our wind, I was
on deck at my watch when I caught the sound of oars approaching the
_Zebra_. Shortly after several missives were pitched on deck, one of
which alighted just at my feet.

I examined it with some curiosity. It was a bundle of printed papers
addressed to the sailors of England, calling upon them to insist on the
redress of grievances, and to stand by their brethren who at that moment
were in a state of mutiny at the Nore. Other papers described the
success which had attended a similar mutiny at Spithead a week or so
previously. Another was a flaring proclamation, signed "Parker,
President," on board H.M.S. _Sandwich_ at the Nore, announcing that the
fleet was in the hands of the men; that all the obnoxious officers were
under arrest; that the Thames was under strict blockade; that conditions
had been offered to the Admiralty; and that, if these were not accepted
within a given time, it was the intention of the leaders of the mutiny
to put to sea and hand the ships in their possession to the enemy.
Further, it was stated that the fleet at the Nore was being daily
recruited by deserters from the North Sea squadron and elsewhere; that
arms and supplies were abundant; and that England was at the mercy of
those whom up till now she had treated as veritable slaves. And so on.

All this greatly troubled me; for, from what I knew of the crew of the
_Zebra_, such seditious stuff furnished just the fuel required to set
the spirit of the men in a blaze. The other missives thrown on board,
no doubt containing the same or similar matter, had pretty certainly
fallen into the hands of those who would read the call to mutiny with
different eyes from mine. If so, the mischief was already far gone.

I hastened with my papers to Lieutenant Adrian, who gla