nervously.

"Oh, it's all right and you needn't to worry, Wilbur. If we stick
together we'll make a couple of thousand apiece out of this game."

"But what shall we do if we fall in with a Russian warship?"

"Semmel has that all fixed. He'll expose the captain and state that the
_Columbia_ is carrying a cargo for the Japanese Government, and that he
took possession in the name of the Czar. With this war on they won't ask
too many questions so long as they can give the Japs a black eye."

"I see. But supposing we fall in with a Japanese warship?"

"Then Semmel is going to turn the command over to me and I'll tell them
that the cargo was really meant for the Japanese Government but that
Captain Ponsberry, just before we left Manila, sold out to the Russian
agents and was going to Vladivostok. I'll add that we refused to go to
the Russian port after signing for Nagasaki, and all of the men can back
me up. That will put the captain and his friends in limbo and give us
some prize money. Oh, we'll come out ahead, don't you worry," concluded
Shamhaven, confidently.

The day passed slowly and the mutineers held several meetings, to settle
upon just what they were going to do. But all had been drinking more
than was good for them and the conferences ended in nothing but talk.
Semmel was the accepted leader, but it was plain to see that Shamhaven
objected strongly to playing a secondary part, and Peterson also wanted
a large "finger in the pie."

As they worked with care, it was a good hour and a half before Larry and
Luke managed to take down the door leading into the hold. Even when this
was done they found on the other side several heavy cases of machinery
almost impossible to budge.

"We can pry those out of the way," said the captain.

"A foot or so will do it," returned Larry. "Then I think I can crawl
over the top."

They continued the work, and a little later the young second mate was
able to squeeze his way to the top of the cargo in that vicinity.

"Be careful, Larry," warned the captain. "If a case should shift with
the ship you might get a crushed leg. You had better take a candle
along."

"I will, sir."

Luke was as anxious to get into the hold as the young second mate, and
he too squeezed his tall, lank form through the opening. Guided by the
faint light of the candle, they crawled over a number of cases of
machinery and war goods until they drew close to the middle of the ship.

"Here we are!" crie