r
that matter, I am now the keeper of the _Elsinore's_ official log as
well, in which work Margaret helps me.

And I might have known it would happen. At four yesterday morning I
relieved Mr. Pike. When in the darkness I came up to him at the break of
the poop, I had to speak to him twice to make him aware of my presence.
And then he merely grunted acknowledgment in an absent sort of way.

The next moment he brightened up, and was himself save that he was too
bright. He was making an effort. I felt this, but was quite unprepared
for what followed.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said, as he put his leg over the rail and
lightly and swiftly lowered himself down into the darkness.

There was nothing I could do. To cry out or to attempt to reason with
him would only have drawn the mutineers' attention. I heard his feet
strike the deck beneath as he let go. Immediately he started for'ard.
Little enough precaution he took. I swear that clear to the 'midship-
house I heard the dragging age-lag of his feet. Then that ceased, and
that was all.

I repeat. That was all. Never a sound came from for'ard. I held my
watch till daylight. I held it till Margaret came on deck with her
cheery "What ho of the night, brave mariner?" I held the next watch
(which should have been the mate's) till midday, eating both breakfast
and lunch behind the sheltering jiggermast. And I held all afternoon,
and through both dog-watches, my dinner served likewise on the deck.

And that was all. Nothing happened. The galley-stove smoked three
times, advertising the cooking of three meals. Shorty made faces at me
as usual across the rim of the for'ard-house. The Maltese Cockney caught
an albatross. There was some excitement when Tony the Greek hooked a
shark off the jib-boom, so big that half a dozen tailed on to the line
and failed to land it. But I caught no glimpse of Mr. Pike nor of the
renegade Sidney Waltham.

In short, it was a lazy, quiet day of sunshine and gentle breeze. There
was no inkling to what had happened to the mate. Was he a prisoner? Was
he already overside? Why were there no shots? He had his big automatic.
It is inconceivable that he did not use it at least once. Margaret and I
discussed the affair till we were well a-weary, but reached no
conclusion.

She is a true daughter of the race. At the end of the second dog-watch,
armed with her father's revolver, she insisted on standing the first
watch o