us sorts.

"The crew have mutinied, there's no doubt about that," answered old Jim
to an inquiry made by Devereux; "but we will go and face them, they will
not harm either the boy or me. Don't you speak, though, or make the
slightest sound; they'll think that you are hove overboard with the
rest."

These words confirmed the midshipmen's worst apprehensions. They had no
time to ask questions, before the old man, taking Paul by the hand,
hurried away. Paul and his companion reached the deck unobserved. The
mutineers were all too eager in the desperate work in which they had
engaged to remark them. At that moment Paul saw his friends Reuben Cole
and the young Frenchman, Alphonse, with some of the inferior and petty
officers, dragged forward by the mutineers. Hargraves was the chief
speaker.

"What is to be done with these?" he asked, turning round to his
companions in crime.

"Serve them like the rest," shouted some.

"Dead men tell no tales," muttered others.

"We've had enough of that sort of work," cried the greater number. "No
more bloodshed! Let them swear to hold their tongues and do as we bid
them."

"You hear what is proposed," said Hargraves, gruffly. "Will you fellows
take your lives on these terms?"

"Not I, for one, ye murderous villains," exclaimed Reuben Cole, doubling
his fists and confronting the mutineers. "I'll take nothing at your
hands, but I'm very certain that there are plenty of men aboard here
who'll not stand idly by and see me butchered on that account. As to
peaching on you, I'm not going to do that, but you'll not get another
word out of me about the matter."

Had Hargraves had his way, it would have fared ill with honest Reuben;
but the latter had not wrongly estimated the support he was likely to
receive from his new shipmates, whose goodwill he knew that he had
gained.

"Reuben Cole is not the man to peach, even if he has the chance,"
shouted several of them.

"No fear; he'll prove true to us, and so will the little Mounseer there;
won't you?" asked one, turning to Alphonse. "We couldn't afford to lose
you and your fiddle, especially just now, when we shall want something
to keep up our spirits."

Alphonse, not comprehending what was said, made no reply. His silence
was construed into contumacy, and some of Hargraves' adherents laid
hands on him, and appeared as if they were about to throw him overboard,
when Paul shouted out to him in French what was said. Alph