courage, I had a second
one filled and passed it down, leaving it to Dumlow now to hand down the
biscuits, while as every portion was served there were grunts of
satisfaction, and the cook smiled and looked as proud as could be.

"Here you, cookie, _bon chef_," cried Jarette; "I'll promote you as soon
as I come to my rights. Ladle away."

The cook did ladle away, and I handed the tins, moved by a kind of
frenzy, so eager was I to get the horrible task over, while my heart
beat furiously. I shivered as I heard the men below laughing and
talking, as they praised the cook's performance, little imagining the
hand I had had in the preparation. But I thought of how horrible it
would be if the drug proved too strong for some of the men, or if others
got more than their share through its settling down, and in spite of the
vigorous use the cook made of his ladle as we neared the bottom, I felt
worse and worse, feeling as I did at last, that we were sending down to
some of the men that which might prove to be their death.

"That's all!" shouted the cook at last, giving the upturned tin bucket a
loud banging with his ladle, and a loud murmur of disappointment came up
through the opening.

"Be good boys, then, and I'll make you another lot to-morrow. Why, Mr
Dale, sir," he said, turning to me, "it has made you hot; your face is
all over great drops."

"Is it?" I said, rather faintly; "I suppose it is very hot."

But all the same I felt cold and ready to shiver, while to escape notice
I hurried aft and entered the saloon where the gentlemen were waiting,
Mr Brymer following me in.

"Well!" he said eagerly.

"They've taken it to the last drop," I panted, and then to the
doctor--"Oh, Mr Frewen, I feel as if I had been committing a dozen
murders. I wish I had not said a word about the soup."

CHAPTER THIRTY.

Seeing how thoroughly upset I was, the mate told Mr Frewen to speak to
me as soon as he was gone; for he was about to join the men on the watch
by the forecastle-hatch, so as to be ready to take action as soon as
possible after the drug had acted.

"How soon will it be?" he asked Mr Frewen.

"I cannot tell you. I never administered it like this before, only in
small doses as an opiate in cases of intense suffering. It may be soon,
it may be an hour or two. If they have, as we suppose, an ample supply
of spirits and tobacco below, it is possible that they may retard the
action."

"Well," said Mr Bryme