er pell-mell. The Prince was shooting as calmly as at so many
partridges. I ran down stairs and fetched my revolver, and when I
returned I could hear no sound from the lower deck. Barraclough met me
at the door of the saloon.

"There's not a pound of steam on her," he said. "The brutes have shut
off the valves."

"Let her go," said I. "We have something more important on our hands.
They'll be here again. The Prince took them by surprise. No English
captain would have used his weapons so."

"No, by Heaven," he exclaimed. "This makes it a question of----"

He paused. Mr. Legrand came running along the deck.

"We've got it now," he said. "Oh, we've got all we want now."

"Look here," said I. "Is Ellison with you? I'm sure he's not in this?"

"Yes," said Barraclough.

"Well, post him at the ladder, and here's Grant. Let's find out how we
stand."

"It'll be hot work to-night," said Legrand.

Day's voice came to us from his cabin door: "Sir John Barraclough, be
good enough to place all the men you can trust on guard, with orders to
fire in case of necessity. I shall be obliged for your company and that
of the officers in my cabin."

We had four men, including Ellison, on the deck, and there was also the
man at the wheel, who had not quitted his place through all these
events. One could surely rely upon a man with such a sense of duty; so,
having made such dispositions as were possible, Barraclough followed us
to the captain. The ladies, I hoped, were safe in their cabins, as I
had heard no sound of them.

Day was brief and businesslike. "Dr. Phillimore was right," said he. "I
ask his pardon. We must see how many men we have. There is Mr. Lane and
Mr. Pye. Where is Mr. Pye?"

"I am here, sir," said the little clerk from the back.

"That makes, including Mr. Morland, twelve men to depend on, so far as
we know--if, that is," he added almost with a sneer, "we can depend on
them."

"Grant may know more," said Legrand.

"Bring him," said Day, and opened the door to the Prince.

Prince Frederic was cool and collected, and showed little to mark the
disturbance and bloodshed of the last quarter of an hour--little,
unless it were in the increased blue of his eyes, which shone frostily.

"Have you all your men, captain?" he remarked in his determined German
way, quite free of vivacity.

"We are sure of twelve," said Day, "and we are trying to find out about
the others, so as to separate sheep and goats."

But h