imself down.

"Stand clear," he shouted, and the next moment he had dropped down into
the boat.

"Was you talking 'bout the rope for yourself, Frenchy?--because they
keep that round the yard-arm for thieves and pirates, not for honest
men."

"Pig--cochon!" yelled Jarette, and there was a flash of light and a
sharp report as he fired a pistol to hit the sailor, or perhaps only to
frighten us, for no harm was done.

"Silence, man, don't exasperate him," whispered a voice from close by
where I sat, and I knew that if I raised my hand I could have touched
Mr Frewen.

"All right, sir," growled Bob, and Jarette spoke now.

"Below there," he cried. "I'm behaving better to you than you all
deserve. Some men would have pitched you all overboard to drown. Now
then, listen you, Captain Berriman; you can row west and get into the
line the packets take, or you can row east and make the coast somewhere,
if you don't get caught in a storm and go to the bottom. But that's
none of my doing, I can't help that. Now then, push off before I alter
my mind and have a bag of ballast pitched through the bottom of the
boat. Off with you. Fasten up that gangway, my lads."

"No, no, stop," cried Mr Frewen, excitedly. "We are not all here," and
I glanced round, but it was too dark to make anything out below where
the light of the lanterns was cast outward in quite a straight line,
well defined against the blackness below, which looked solid.

"Not all there, doctor? Oh, I forgot," said Jarette. "Wait a minute."

He turned away from the side, and we heard him give some order, which
was followed a minute later by a sharp shrill cry, which went through
me, and then there was a series of frantic shrieks, which seemed to
pierce the dark night air. We could hear a scuffling too, and appeal
after appeal approaching the side from somewhere aft.

"Silence!" snapped out Jarette, and a sharp smack was followed by a low
moan.

Then in loud hysterical tones, as if a hoarse frantic woman were
appealing, I heard as I sat shuddering there--

"No, no, don't, Captain Jarette. I'll work with you, and stick to you,
and help you always. Don't do that."

"You--you cowardly, sneaking traitor! Who'd trust you an inch out of
his sight? Over with him, lads. No, no, not there. Over with him
here."

"Help! Mercy, pray! help! help!" came with frantic shrieks, for the
poor fellow evidently did not know of the boat over the side. He felt
tha