now on
the other, and with the greatest fury tearing at the legs of the men who
had hold of me, though the others, it seemed to me, he let alone. The
moment, however, that one of them touched me, Solon made his teeth meet
in the calves of his legs. I struggled as hard as I could to free
myself, but what could I do, a mere boy, in the hands of powerful and
desperate men. Knowing that I must be aware of their plot, they seemed
bent on my destruction. Already they had got me off my legs, close to
the bulwarks, and were about to heave me overboard; the gag slipped from
my mouth, and I shouted out hastily for help. The mutineers, alarmed by
my cry, let me go, and aided by Solon, who had not ceased his furious
onslaught at their legs, I made a desperate leap off the topgallant
forecastle, and rushing aft, followed by my faithful ally, I gained the
poop. Looking forward, I saw that several of the men were coming aft.
It was the third mate's watch on deck. He had been asleep, I suspect,
or at all events pretended not to have heard my cry. Happily, however,
it had reached the ears of Mr Henley, even in his berth, and so it had
of Johnny Spratt, forward, and of Mr Vernon, and several of the
gentlemen passengers, whom the heat of the weather prevented sleeping.
Mr Henley and several of the others had pistols in their hands. Their
appearance awed the mutineers, who stopped a little abaft the main-mast,
while Solon stood on the break of the poop, barking furiously at them.

"What is the matter? who cried out, Marsden?" asked Mr Henley,
recognising me.

"I did, sir," I answered. "To the best of my belief some of those men
there were about to throw me overboard, and would have done so if my dog
had not helped me to get away from them."

"Throw you overboard! nonsense," exclaimed Mr Waller; "what should they
want to do that for?"

"Because I overheard them proposing to turn the captain and some of the
officers adrift, land the passengers on a desolate coast, and then to
run off with the ship," I replied in a loud tone, so that the men might
hear me.

"A likely story enough. It is perfectly ridiculous and improbable,"
exclaimed the third mate, vehemently; "you were dreaming, Marsden. The
men finding you forward, I daresay as a joke, lifted you up to frighten
you, though probably they did not like your dog biting their legs."

The mutineers had come sufficiently aft to hear what was said. Cobb,
who was the instigator