, and frowned, as he was accustomed to do when thinking
deeply. He was not a man of much thought.

"And after that?" said he abruptly.

"The deluge," said I, shrugging my shoulders.

"Look here, Phillimore, do you believe we can hold out against
Holgate's forces?" he asked seriously.

"I think we shall have to try," I replied evasively.

"I'm damned if we can," he said bluffly. "It's all infernal nonsense."

"Well, we've got to try," I repeated impatiently.

"Oh, well! yes, we've got to try," he admitted, "unless Holgate will
hear reason."

"Good Lord, man, do you suppose he's risked all this to listen to
reason now?" I asked in amazement.

Barraclough turned away. "Well, you see him. You ought to know," he
growled. "If he doesn't, we're done."

"I don't advise you to tell the others that," I said drily.

He turned on me fiercely. "Who said I would?" he snapped. "Do you take
me for a fool? And who's captain here? Dr. Phillimore, I'll have you
know your place," he cried, in a black passion, unusual in him. "I'm
commanding officer and responsible to none, not even the--Mr. Morland,
by heaven, no--not on this ship, anyway!" And with that remarkable
tempest of unreasonable fury he strode angrily away, leaving me annoyed
and something abashed. Assuredly the situation, the waiting, the
suspense, had played havoc with all our nerves, even with this stolid
English gentleman's. There was the development, in fact, as plain as a
pike-staff. This tension had worn on us. Barraclough lost his temper
for inadequate reasons; the Prince shut himself in his room morosely,
for I shall come to that presently; and Lane growled and grumbled so
that it was difficult to avoid quarrelling with him. Indeed, it was
only by silence that I averted an open collision on more than one
occasion. Little Pye was as nervous as a hen; a sound set him jumping.
As I came up the stairs noiselessly, I encountered him, and his whole
body started.

"Good gracious, man!" said I, with good-humoured contempt, "you'll be
skipping away from your own shadow next. How do you expect to stand up
against Holgate with a spirit like that?"

He was pale even through the strong colour that the sun had beaten into
him. He eyed me without replying for a moment, and then, with the ghost
of his old manner, answered: "I expect I shall sit down to him."

The fingers with which he readjusted the glasses--his favourite
trick--were tremulous.

Pye was to be counted