y the big hatch in front of the main-mast, and
I could see quite a group of men at whom Jarette was storming.

It was a curious weird-looking scene there in the darkness, for the
men's faces stood out in the lantern-light, and in spite of their fear
of their leader they were laughing boisterously.

"You dogs," he roared; "not a drop more. Go back to your kennel."

"Mus' have little drop more, skipper," cried one of the men.

"No," he roared, "not a drop, and it shall be allowances from this
night."

"But there's heaps o' good stuff spoiling, skipper."

"I'll spoil you, you dog," snarled Jarette, and I saw him snatch a
lantern from one of the men and lean down, holding the light over the
open hold. "Hi! below there," he roared; "leave that spirit-keg alone,
and come up."

In the silence which ensued I heard a muffled muttering come from below,
and Jarette dropped upon his knees to hold the lantern right down in the
open hold, while the light struck up and made his face and his actions
plain from where I stood watching.

"Once more, do you hear? Come up and leave that spirit, or I'll fetch
you with a bullet."

"Better come up, mate," shouted one of the men.

"You hold your tongue," snarled Jarette to the speaker. "Now then, will
you come, or am I to fire?"

There was no reply, and Jarette spoke once more in quite a calm, gentle,
persuasive voice.

"I say, will you leave that spirit-keg alone and come up?"

Still no answer, and Jarette turned his head to the group of men.

"That's a fresh keg broached. Who did it?" he said slowly. "I said no
more was to be taken. I say--who broached that keg?"

"Oh, well, it was all on us, skipper. You see we couldn't do nothing in
this calm," said the man who had before spoken, and who seemed to be the
most sensible of the group.

"Then you all broke my orders," cried Jarette, hastily now, "and you
shall all see how I punish a man for breaking my orders."

I looked on as if spellbound, forgetting the boat and my mission as I
crouched there in the dark, feeling that a tragedy was at hand, though I
could not grasp all and divine that this was the crowning-point of the
mutiny.

For Jarette bent right down over the open hold, lowering the lantern,
whose light played upon the barrel of a pistol.

"Now," he cried, "once more, will you come up and leave that
spirit-barrel, or am I to fire?"

"Fire away," came up in muffled tones, but quite defiantly, and as the