s family in Cuba,
the boy having escaped the massacre which occurred when the "Sea Witch"
was burned, and who had been living at Leonardo's factory. On him also
he felt he could rely. The boy soon discovered the mutiny that was
hatching, and told the captain secretly that it would occur at the
moment land was announced from the mast-head on making the islands of
the West Indies.

This was all the information necessary for Charles Bramble, to whom the
captain of the schooner gave up all control, to prepare for the
emergency. He completely armed the four parties on whom he could rely,
and bade them wait for orders from him, but when he gave those orders to
act instantly and without pausing for further consideration. The crew
were somewhat puzzled to see their chief officer give up even the
sailing of the vessel to him who had come on board as a passenger, but
they could not but also perceive that he who acted as the captain now,
was a very different man to deal with, and one who knew his business.
They saw that the schooner was made to sail better than ever before,
that the crew were kept in their places and busy, an important thing at
sea, and though they were still resolved to make the attempt, they did
not like the appearance of matters.

Scarcely had the lookout after a short passage descried the first land,
and hailed the deck with "land ho!" when a change was instantly observed
among the crew. Captain Bramble, however, was on the watch, and so were
his backers; and seeing this, he instantly called one of the ringleaders
aft, and bade him sternly to lay his hand to a rope and pull it taut.
The man instinctively obeyed at first, subdued by the calm, stern front
of the man who addressed him, but in a moment more he ceased and turned
towards the officer flatly declining duty, at the same time beckoning
the hands forward to come to the quarter-deck. Captain Bramble paused
one second of time and repeated his order. It was not obeyed, and in the
next instant the man lay a corpse with a bullet through his brains at
the feet of his officer!

This prompt punishment for a moment checked the action of the rest, but
it was only for a moment when they moved aft in a body.

"Hold, where you are!" shouted the young but determined commander. "The
man who advances another step dies!"

All paused, save two of the most daring of the rascals who continued to
press on. Captain Ratlin now bade the mates to shoot the first man who
ca