is_ the _Mermaid_, thank God! and you cannot
escape. See! she is already hauling up to speak us; and in another
twenty minutes will be alongside. Now, sir, resign to me the command
which you have with so much violence and bloodshed usurped; and you,
men," he continued, turning round and in a loud voice addressing the
rest of the crew, "return at once to your duty. Support and assist me
in recovering the command of the ship, and I promise--"

"Silence!" roared Farmer, striking the master a heavy blow full in the
mouth with his clenched fist. "Seize him, you two," he continued to the
men who had charge of the prisoner, "and if he offers to speak again to
the men clap a belaying-pin between his teeth. My lads, you now know
the truth; yonder frigate is our old acquaintance the _Mermaid_. Mr
Southcott proposes that I should surrender the command of this ship to
him; and if I do so we all know what will follow. Most of us will
dangle at the yard-arm; and though, _through the royal clemency_," (with
a bitter sneer), "a few may be allowed to escape with a flogging through
the fleet, with left-handed boatswains' mates to cross the lashes--think
of that, men, and compare it with the mere two or three dozen at the
gangway which most of you have tasted since you joined the _Hermione_--
where is the man among you, I ask, who can point to himself and say, `I
shall be one of the _fortunate_ few?' No, no, my lads! after last
night's work there must be no talk of surrender; the ropes are already
round our necks, and as surely as we ever find ourselves beneath the
British flag again, so surely will those ropes be hauled taut and
ourselves bowsed up to the yard-arm. And, even if our lives could be
assured to us, what inducement is there to us to serve under British
bunting again? I say there is _none_. We must choose, then, between
two alternatives; we must either fight or fly. Which is it to be?"

The rest of the mutineers huddled together, evidently irresolute; each
man eagerly sought his neighbour's opinion, the _pros_ and _cons_ of
Farmer's question were hurriedly discussed, and I saw with inexpressible
delight that a good many of the men were more than half disposed to fall
in with the master's suggestion.

Mr Southcott must have seen this too, for he wheeled round upon Farmer
and exclaimed:

"Surely, Farmer, you are not mad enough to entertain the idea of
fighting the _Mermaid_? Why, man, you could not stand up befor