tly. "Most likely you can plead
insanity an' get off easy."

At this moment I felt a stir at my shoulder. It was Margaret, armed with
the long knife of the steward, whom she had put at the wheel.

"You've got another guess comin', Davis," Mr. Pike said. "I've got no
more talk with you. I'm goin' to talk to the bunch. I'll give you
fellows just two minutes to choose, and I'll tell you your choices.
You've only got two choices. You'll turn the second mate over to me an'
go back to duty and take what's comin' to you, or you'll go to jail with
the stripes on you for long sentences. You've got two minutes. The
fellows that want jail can stand right where they are. The fellows that
don't want jail and are willin' to work faithful, can walk right back to
me here on the poop. Two minutes, an' you can keep your jaws stopped
while you think over what it's goin' to be."

He turned his head to me and said in an undertone, "Be ready with that
pop-gun for trouble. An' don't hesitate. Slap it into 'em--the swine
that think they can put as raw a deal as this over on us."

It was Buckwheat who made the first move; but so tentative was it that it
got no farther than a tensing of the legs and a sway forward of the
shoulders. Nevertheless it was sufficient to start Herman Lunkenheimer,
who thrust out his foot and began confidently to walk aft. Kid Twist
gained him in a single spring, and Kid Twist, his wrist under the
German's throat from behind; his knee pressed into the German's back,
bent the man backward and held him. Even as the rifle came to my
shoulder, the hound Bombini drew his knife directly beneath Kid Twist's
wrist across the up-stretched throat of the man.

It was at this instant that I heard Mr. Pike's "Plug him!" and pulled the
trigger; and of all ungodly things the bullet missed and caught the Faun,
who staggered back, sat down on the hatch, and began to cough. And even
as he coughed he still strained with pain-eloquent eyes to try to
understand.

No other man moved. Herman Lunkenheimer, released by Kid Twist, sank
down on the deck. Nor did I shoot again. Kid Twist stood again by the
side of Bert Rhine and Guido Bombini fawned near.

Bert Rhine actually visibly smiled.

"Any more of you guys want to promenade aft?" he queried in velvet tones.

"Two minutes up," Mr. Pike declared.

"An' what are you goin' to do about it, Grandpa?" Bert Rhine sneered.

In a flash the big automatic was out of the