se thoughts flashed through my mind, I was listening all
the time intently to what went on below, striving as I was to grasp the
real state of affairs.

"Here you are then, Bob Hampton. Behold you, my friend, though it's so
dark I can't see you," said Jarette, and I heard a low chuckling noise
which I recognised as Bob Hampton's laugh.

"And that's a bull as arn't an Irish one," he said.

"Ah, yes, faith of a man, but don't you try to be funny, my man," said
Jarette, "for this is not a funny time, when men are working with their
necks in the hang-dog noose. Now, look here, my friend, I did not ask
you to join us, because I did not trust you; but you have joined us to
save your skin; so you had better work for us well, or--there, I will
not say ugly things. You are a good sailor, Bob Hampton, and know your
work, and it would be a pity if you were to be knocked overboard and
drowned."

"Horrid pity, messmet."

"Captain, if you please, Bob Hampton, and your friend if you are
faithful. That will do. Now go to the wheel, and send the ship on her
voyage south. She is rolling in the trough of the sea."

"Right!" said Bob. "'Spose, captain, you won't be so particklar; man
may light his pipe while he is at the wheel."

"Oh yes. Smoke and be comfortable; but you will mind how you steer, for
I shall be a hard severe man. You understand, extremement severe."

"Course you will," said Bob, coolly; "skippers must be. Don't matter to
me, messmate--cap'n, I mean--one skipper's good as another. But I say,
cap'n, there's Barney Blane and Neb Dumlow knocked on the head in the
forksle. They on'y showed fight a-cause they see as I did at first.
They're good mates and true, and 'll jyne me as they allus have. `Wheer
you sails,' say they, `we sails.' So I thought I'd put in a word, as
you wants trusty men."

"I can choose my crew, Bob Hampton," said the Frenchman, in a peculiar
tone of voice. "Too much talk is only good for parrot birds. Go you
and steer."

"Right you are, cap'n," said Bob, and I heard him go aft, but could not
see him till I wrenched my head round, and could then dimly see
something in the halo of soft light shed by the lamp on the compass.

And all this time the ship was rolling slowly, with the yards making a
strange creaking sound and the sails filling and flapping about with
strange flutterings and whimperings; but in a few minutes there was a
perceptible change, the ship's head swinging round