desert the vessel, and
make off with the valise--he had seen it in their eyes. In order to
satisfy himself on this point, he had commissioned the mate to pump
them. Xury had acted his part well, and having succeeded in making the
mutineers believe that he was dissatisfied with the way the affairs of
the band were conducted, they had taken him into their confidence. The
evidence against them was now conclusive, and the governor thought it
high time they were secured and deprived of their power for mischief.
The other members of the band thought _so_, too. The captain, as usual,
was very indignant, and would have made a lengthy speech on the subject,
had he not been interrupted by the chief, who informed him that it was a
time for action, not words.

"Let each of us get a rope," said Sam, "an' we'll go into the cabin an'
make prisoners of 'em. Friday, you an' Xury pitch into Jack Spaniard,
an' me an the cap'n will take care of Atkins. Don't waste no time, now,
for it ain't best to give them too much show."

The governor led the way into the cabin, where the mutineers were busy
feeding the prisoners. Atkins was holding a cup of water to Johnny's
lips. He started and turned pale when he saw the angry looks of the
chief, and the rope he carried in his hand, and instead of pouring the
water into the prisoner's mouth, he spilled it all down his neck.

"Now, look at that!" said Johnny.

"Aha!" exclaimed the governor, "your looks are enough to tell the whole
story. Didn't I say that I knew you an' Jack Spaniard were up to
something?"

That was enough for Atkins, who, knowing that he was betrayed, dropped
his cup and bounded toward the ladder; but the governor, being on the
alert, clasped him in his arms, and with the assistance of Tom Newcombe,
secured him very easily. Friday and Xury attacked Jack Spaniard, who,
seeing his companion helpless, surrendered without any attempt to resist
them.

"This is some of your work," said Atkins, glaring fiercely at the mate.

"Well, I reckon I know that, don't I?" coolly replied Xury.

"An' you promised, honor bright, that you wouldn't never say a word to
any body, an' you shook hands on it."

"All them things go for nothing when a feller's actin' the part of a
spy. You went back on me an' the cap'n when we were in trouble, an' now
we are even with you."

"Chuck 'em into the bunks, fellers," said the chief. "We haint got so
many men as we had a little while ago, but them that's l