he second door that admitted to the staircase and glanced
down. No one was visible, and no sound was audible. I turned, nodded
reassuringly to the Princess, and descended. The saloon was empty, and
there were no signs of any struggle. I passed along the passage towards
the officers' quarters, but everything was in order; and finally
retraced my way towards the kitchens, which abutted on the engine-room,
but were separated from it by a thick partition of steel and wood. As I
went, the yacht rolled and sent me against a closed door with a heavy
bump. From within issued a sound, subdued but unmistakable as that of a
human voice. I reflected that the mutineers would not be here, for it
was evident that the door was locked, and no mutineer would secure
himself in a cabin in the midst of his triumph. I rapped loudly on the
door and called out:

"It's Phillimore. Who is in here?"

After a pause I heard the bolt go back and the door opened a little,
disclosing the face of Lane.

"You, doctor?" he said. "Thank the Lord we're not all done yet." He
flung the door wide, and I could see now that his companion was the
head steward.

"Where's the Prince?" I asked anxiously.

"I don't know," he said, heaving a big sigh. "Thank the Lord there's
some one else alive. I was forced down the companion and fell. Lost my
weapon, too, or I'd 'a' showed more fight. Great Scott, I rolled all
the way down, not before I'd done for one or two, I tell you."

"Well, you're wanted upstairs now," said I, "both of you. We've got the
ladies on our hands, and we've got to find out where the Prince is. Day
is dead."

Lane whistled. "Poor beggar!" he observed. "But Jackson must stay here.
This is our magazine, my boy--where the grub is. If we've got to stand
a siege we've got to seize the grub-chest. The storage chamber's along
here."

The advice seemed excellent. "Yes," I answered, "that is true. Well,
let Jackson wait here and lie low. He won't be discovered here."

"I dare say the cook's somewhere hidden about here, sir," observed
Jackson.

"All the better. Find him if you can. And remember that, if we pull
through, this means a big business for you, Jackson, and cook, too."

"Yes, sir," he assented mildly.

"Now, then, Lane," I went on, and the purser followed me into the
saloon. We mounted the staircase, and I took the chance of closing the
doors at the head that gave access to the deck. Then I rapped on the
door that gave on the Prince'