the main-rigging, when, I think, we may venture to
slip over the bulwarks, and in on deck. Then we must creep very
cautiously forward, find out the whereabouts of the watchman, or
lookout, or whatever he is, and overpower him, if possible, without
raising an alarm. That done, we will set free our own lads, and I have
no fear whatever as to the result."

The three adventurers then moved noiselessly forward until they came to
the main-rigging, when they slipped in on deck, and, crouching low in
the deep shadow of the weather bulwarks, crept along until they were
within a dozen feet of the fore-scuttle. Here they paused, and began to
peer anxiously about for the man they expected to find on watch on the
forecastle.

"There he is, just forward of the cat-head," whispered the second mate;
and hastily snatching a heavy iron belaying-pin from the rail, he stole,
crouching and noiseless as a cat, upon his unconscious enemy. Six
seconds later a dull heavy blow was heard, followed by a faint groan,
the dark object near the cat-head vanished, and Cross, returning to the
skipper's side, whispered--

"_He's_ all right; knocked the senses clean out of him, and then laid
him quietly out on deck. I reckon he won't come to hisself again for
the next half-hour. Now, what's the next move, cap'n?"

"The next thing," answered George, "is to open the fore-scuttle, and
quietly get our own lads on deck. I am surprised that they have not
attempted to steal up of their own accord before this."

On going to the forecastle hatch, however, they soon discovered the
reason why the men were content to remain so quietly below, a large
mooring hawser having been coiled down on the top of the hatch, thus
effectually preventing the imprisoned men from raising it.

"We shall never be able to move this without giving the alarm," said
George. "We must contrive somehow to shut those fellows up in the
galley, and keep them there."

"That is easily done," whispered the chief mate. "`Cookey' has a lot of
firewood stowed away in the eyes of the long-boat; we must get hold of a
piece, cut half a dozen wedges from it, and one of us must then slide-to
the door on the lee-side, and wedge it tight with three of the wedges,
whilst another of us at the same time wedges up the door to windward."

He then glided away to the long-boat, and soon returned with a small
piece of wood in his hand.

"Here we are," he whispered; "now we'll soon have them boxed