nown as Neil Dolan--told me that that skowbank
Turnbull, backed up by the four A.B.s in the fo'c's'le and Slushy
'isself, 'ad rose and took the ship from the skipper, killin' 'im and
Chips--that's the carpenter--puttin' the mate in irons and lockin' 'im
up in 'is cabin, and compellin' the four ordinarys to help--whether they
would or no--in workin' the ship. Then, by-and-by, when eight bells
struck and I rang the bell for breakfast, along comes Turnbull, and says
to me--

"`Well, Jim, I s'pose you've 'eard the news?'

"`Yes, bo'sun,' I says, `I 'ave.'

"`Very well,' he says; `that's all right. Now,' 'e says, `all as you
'ave to do, my son, is to behave yourself and do your dooty, takin' care
not to interfere with my arrangements. You'll give the mate 'is meals
in 'is own cabin, regular; but you're not to talk to 'im, you
understand, nor tell 'im anything that you may see or 'ear about what's
goin' on. And don't you call me bo'sun no more, young man, or I'll
knock your bloomin' young 'ead off, for I'm cap'n of this ship now, and
don't you forget it! So now you knows what to expect. And, mind you,'
'e says, `if you gets up to any 'ankypanky tricks I'll chuck you over
the side, so sure as your name's Jim Reynolds, so keep your weather eye
liftin', my son!'

"Later on, that same day, Turnbull 'as the mate out into the main cabin
and spreads a chart of the Pacific Hocean out on the table; and, readin'
from a paper what 'e 'ad in 'is 'and, says, `Now, Mr Marshall, I'll
trouble you to lay down on this 'ere chart a p'int bearin' latitood
so-and-so and longitood so-and-so,'--I forgets what the figures was.
`And when you've done that,' he says, `you'll navigate this 'ere barque
to that identical spot. I'll give yer two months from to-day to get us
there,' 'e says; `and if we're not there by that time,' 'e says, `I'll
lash your 'ands and feet together be'ind yer back and 'eave yer
overboard. So now you knows what you've to do if you want to save yer
bloomin' life,' 'e says.

"That same a'ternoon, while I was for'ard in the galley, Slushy--who was
in 'igh spirits--tells me as 'ow Turnbull 'ave got 'old of a yarn about
a lot of buried treasure on a hisland somewhere, in the Pacific, and
that we was bound there to get it; and that when we'd got it, Turnbull
and them as 'ad stood in with 'im 'd be as rich as princes and wouldn't
need to do another stroke of work for the rest of their naturals, but
just 'ave a good time,