he ship. Meanwhile they applied themselves
assiduously to the liquor, an indulgence which, in the case of a good
many of the land-lubbers of their company, must have been seriously
spoiled by the rolling of the ship and their first acquaintance since we
left Dublin with really dirty weather.

I reckoned that we were some twelve leagues from the Dutch coast, with
the wind shifting westerly and sending heavy seas over our counter, when
the grey dawn lifted and showed us a waste of water, with nothing
visible but a single speck on the eastern horizon.

After close scrutiny we concluded this to be one or more sail beating up
against the gale; but whether they were Dutch or English, it was too
soon to say.

"Keep her as she is," said Mr Adrian; "and, Mr Gallagher, pipe all
hands. The sooner we come to an understanding with these fiends the
better."

I obeyed. A few of the old tars instinctively turned up to the call,
but seeing all decks but the quarter-deck deserted, they remembered
themselves and went off to look for their comrades.

Presently an uneasy group assembled on the forecastle, many of them
showing traces of the mingled drunkenness and sea-sickness of the night.
We could see them scanning the horizon with their glasses, and slowly
awaking to the discovery that instead of being in the arms of the
confederacy of "the Republic afloat" (as one of the proclamations had
called it), the _Zebra_ was scudding over the high seas.

There was an angry consultation, and shouts to those below to turn up.
About half the number obeyed, though many of these were fit only to lie
helplessly about the deck. A more miserable crew you never beheld.

"Hands aloft! Take in the main-topgallant sail!" cried Mr Adrian, and
the order was shouted forward.

Not a man moved, except Callan, who came to the forecastle rail, and
holding up a pistol, shouted back,--

"Surrender the ship, or we fire!"

Mr Adrian's reply was to repeat the order just given, and draw his
pistol.

One of the mutineers, sent forward by the leaders, advanced to the
mainmast with a red flag in his hand, which he proceeded to fasten to
the flag-lines and to hoist, bringing down the Union flag as he did so.

Mr Adrian levelled his pistol. There was a sharp, clear ring above the
noise of the gale; the man flung up his arms, uttered a yell, and rolled
over on the deck.

"Stand clear!" cried Callan, waving his men on either side of the
forecastle guns.