ng his head into a halter, he would side with us. If you can get
hold of Tommy Bigg again, let him tell Spratt that I want him, quietly.
The doctor will do best to rouse all the second-class passengers who can
be trusted. There are four or five among them who would do anything
rather than work for an honest livelihood; but we shall not have much
difficulty in keeping them down, unless, as I suspect, there is some
seaman, a desperate character, among them, who is the real instigator of
this long meditated plot."

I asked him who he thought the man could be, for I had watched narrowly
since he had before suggested the idea to me, and could fix on no one as
at all likely to be the man. He, to my surprise, mentioned a quiet,
middle-aged looking man, dressed in a brown coat and wide-awake hat, who
wore large green spectacles, and announced himself to be a shoemaker--
Barwell he called himself.

"He is a seaman, of that I am very certain," observed Mr Henley. "And
I am almost equally so that he never made a pair of shoes in his life.
Why he conceals his calling, I do not know. Perhaps he has committed
some crime afloat or ashore, and is escaping from justice. I have
observed him more than once in close conversation with Cobb, and for
some time he seldom lost an opportunity of speaking to Waller whenever
he went forward, though he himself has never ventured aft. He evidently
has had a good education, and is a plausible, long-tongued fellow, well
able to influence men of inferior station."

From what Mr Henley said, I saw the man Barwell in a new light, and
quickly recalled to my mind several circumstances connected with him
which I had before forgotten. As it was still some time to midnight, we
were in no hurry to arouse our friends, but at length having arranged
our plans, I went below to perform the part I had undertaken. As I was
leaving the deck I patted Solon on the head, and made him understand
that he was to keep watch on the poop till my return. I was very
certain that I should hear his bark if anything unusual took place.

Mr Vernon was not much surprised nor alarmed with the information I
gave him. "I cannot fancy that such a scheme as these wretched men have
concocted has a chance of success," he observed calmly. "Forewarned, as
we providentially have been, we can easily counteract their plans."

The other gentlemen I summoned did not take things quite so coolly.
They all dressed immediately, and exa