ed, and I am sure you will
agree that we ought to get our rights, if we are worthy of being called
men. I am told that some of the best hands in the ship have made up
their minds on the subject, and they have asked me to join them; but I
want to know what your opinion is, for I do not suppose, as you are a
fellow of spirit, that you'll be hanging back."

I guessed what he was driving at, and was cautious in what I said. I
advised him not to join any mad attempt to gain by force what he called
our rights, saying that I had made up my mind to have nothing to do with
anything of the sort. On this I endeavoured to get clear of him, but he
stuck to me, and managed somehow or other to lead me among a knot of men
who were all talking eagerly together. Several of them spoke to me, and
one of the party began to go on much in the same strain that Pratt had
done. As he held me fast by the arm, I could not get away from him
without using violence, and that I did not want to use. The men were
talking away, many of them together, speaking of their grievances, and
complaining of the treatment they had received. Some swore that they
had been flogged unjustly for things they had never done, others
complained of their leave being stopped, some of the badness of their
provisions, others of the tyranny of the officers, and the hard work
they had to do. I made no observation, for I did not wish to have
myself mixed up with them.

There was some truth in what they said, but a great deal of
exaggeration, and I observed that the King's Hard Bargains were the very
men to make most to do of what they suffered. Except that I had escaped
a flogging, and being an able seaman never had to perform what is called
dirty work, I had to suffer as much as any of them.

All this time, neither Trickett, or rather Charles Iffley, nor the
fellow who called himself Reginald Berkeley, had appeared among us.

They came at last, as if sauntering by, and joining in, asked the men
what they were talking about. Several again went over the list of their
grievances.

"It's not to be borne!" cried Iffley.

"I should think not!" exclaimed Berkeley; "I've heard tell of a crew
taking the ship from their officers, and sailing away, either to live
the life of free rovers of the ocean, or to carry her into some foreign
port where they have sold her for a large sum of money, and divided the
profits among themselves. I don't say this is what we should do, or