here," he cried, savagely, and with his face convulsed
with passion. "It is a trick of yours to deprive me of my chance of
distinguishing myself in this wretched hole."

"It is nothing of the kind, Mr Terry," said Syd, quietly; "but are you
mad to go on like this before the men?"

"I should be mad if I held my tongue, and let every puppy of a boy be
placed over me to insult me. I say the gun shall not be moved."

"It is for the proper defence of the place."

"It is a piece of insolence to annoy me."

"You would have charge of the gun in its fresh place."

"I don't believe it," cried Terry, in his rage. "This is the gun's
place. It shall not be moved."

"Silence, sir!" cried Syd, flushing up, and something of his father's
stern way giving him an older and firmer look. "I gave orders for the
gun to be taken down. Mr Roylance, be smart with your men."

"It shall not be done," cried Terry. "I say--"

"And I say, sir," said Syd in an angry whisper, "that if you are not
silent, I'll put you in arrest; yes, and tied hand and foot for your
treachery of an hour or two ago."

Terry's jaw dropped, and he turned ashy in hue as he shrank away.

"Look here, sir," continued Syd, "you will no longer have charge of that
gun, but act under Mr Roylance's orders when I am not there. Fight
like a man, and do your duty, and I may forget to report your conduct to
the captain. Go on as you are behaving now, and everything shall be
known."

A curiously vindictive look shot from Terry's eyes as his hand
involuntarily played with the butt of the pistol he had in his belt.

Syd saw it, and continued--

"Another such threat as that, sir, and you will be disarmed."

Terry walked away and stood aside, gazing out to sea, while Syd could
not help thinking that if his messmate had a favourable opportunity and
could do it unseen, he would not scruple to use his pistol, or to push
him over the steep cliff.

The thoughts were dismissed directly and forgotten in the busy toil, the
men rigging up the tackle, dismounting the gun, and packing it once more
in one of the water-casks, ready for rolling down to the new platform,
which was slowly progressing, but not yet ready for its reception. So
the one party was piped to refreshments, after which, the place being
declared sufficiently advanced, the second party took the place of the
first for rest and food, while with a cheer the gun-carriage was dragged
below, then the tackle was r