?"

"Only this," said I, "that my life is as valuable to me as yours or the
Prince's to you or him, and that therefore I have a right to know."

He laughed shortly. "I'm commanding officer."

"Oh, I'm sick of these airs!" I replied. "If you will not answer me, I
will go to the Prince and get an answer from him. He, at least, will
see the reasonableness of my request for information."

He changed his attitude at that. "You needn't do that, Phillimore,"
said he. "I can tell you all you need know. After all, as you say,
you've a certain right." He looked at me with his hard unfriendly look,
and I met him with one of expectancy. "You know what my opinion is," he
resumed. "It's only a bluff to say that we have a chance against
Holgate. He's got the ship, and he's got the men. I want to see if we
can't make some arrangement."

"And he will?" I inquired sceptically.

Barraclough hesitated. "He's inclined to. He's to let me know. I think
he's a bit impressed by our bluff all the same, and if we could hit on
a suitable middle course----" He stopped. "Hang it, there are the
women, Phillimore!" he said vehemently.

"And you suppose Holgate will take them into consideration?" I said.
"Well, perhaps he may. I don't think either you or I really know much
of Holgate. But I think I know more than you. He's sociable and
friendly, isn't he? One wouldn't take him for a rascally mutineer."

"He's a most infernal ruffian," said he with an oath.

"Yet you would trust him in the matter of terms," I suggested.

Barraclough frowned. "We've got to," he said curtly, "unless you can
show me a way to hold out."

"Oh! men have been in worse cases than ours and emerged all right--a
little battered, no doubt. And then there's the coal. We can't cruise
indefinitely. Holgate's got to put in somewhere."

"Oh, he's not going to wait for that!" said Barraclough moodily. "Look
here, Phillimore; have you a guess at what he means to do?"

"I have about ten guesses," I replied, shaking my head, "and none of
them fits the case. What's he going to do with us? That's his real
difficulty and ours. The money problem's simple. I can't see what's at
the back of that black mind, but I don't think it's hopeful for
us--women included."

"There you are," he exploded savagely. "Anything if we can prevent the
worst."

"Yes," I assented. "Provided you can trust to Holgate's word. But would
he let us off at any price and run the risk? And, moreover, the Pri