ate rapped out sulphurous wishes for the Krooboys' future state.

"Yes, yes," said Sheriff, "but we're wasting time. Come now, Captain,
you heard my offer, and you seemed to like it. I'm waiting for you to
fill your part of the bargain. Away with you ashore, and bring off your
army and take possession."

"I'm afraid, sir," said Kettle honestly, "you've been taking a little
too much for granted. I've got no establishment ashore. I'm just what
you see--a common tramp, or worse, seeing that I've been play-acting for
my dinners of late. And as for any help those niggers ashore could give,
why, I shouldn't recommend it. The one-eyed old son of a dog who's
head-man, has served on ships according to his own telling, and he'll
have the same notions about loot as your own Krooboys. The Coast nigger
hereabouts has got a fancy that any ship on the beach is cumshaw for
himself, and you'll not knock it out of him without some hard teaching.
No, Mr. Sheriff, to call in that one-eyed head-man and his friends--who
it makes me hot to think I had to sing and dance to not six hours
back--would only pile up the work ahead of us. Much best tackle the ship
as she is."

"What!" said Sheriff. "Do you mean to say we can retake her? You don't
know what those boys are like. I tell you they were fair demons when we
left, and they'll be worse now, because they are certain to have got
liquor inside them by this. It's not a bit of use your counting on these
deckhands and stokers in the boat. They're not a penn'oth of use, the
whole lot of them."

"Well," said Kettle diffidently, "I'd got my eye on that packet of
cartridge beside you on the thwart. If they were four-fiftys--"

"They are--let's look--four--five--nought. Yes, well?"

Captain Kettle pulled a well-cleaned revolver out of his waist-cloth.
"I've carried this empty for a whole year now, sir, but I don't think
I've forgot my shooting."

"I can speak here," said the Mate. "I've heard of his usefulness that
way on the Congo. When Captain Kettle lets off his gun, Mr. Sheriff,
it's a funeral. By gum, if he's a way of getting the ship again, I'm on
for helping. Look! There's that steward's boy, Tins, going into my room
this minute. I've a suit of clothes there that have never been put on,
and he'll have them for a cert if we don't look quick."

"Now then, Captain," said Sheriff, "if there's anything going to be
done, get a move on you."

Kettle paddled the dug-out alongside, and stepped