ng consented to the murder of my brother
officers. I would rather that the ship had gone down, and the whole
history of the butchery been hid from mortal knowledge. Yet God knows
it, and it may teach officers for the future the dreadful consequences
of tyranny and cruelty."

He continued on in the same strain, not aware, it seemed, that Paul was
listening. Paul retired to a distance. "Shall I ask the master to join
us?" he thought to himself. "No, it will not do. It would greatly
increase the risk of our being caught." He waited till the master was
silent. He went back to the table. "Shall I put up the charts?" he
asked. "But before I do so, will you, sir, kindly show me where we
are?"

Since the outbreak the poor master had not been treated with so much
respect. He showed Paul the exact position of the ship, the
neighbouring lands, and remarked on the prevailing currents and winds.
Paul rolled up the chart, and put it in its place. He fancied that the
master must have suspected his thoughts. Paul soon after met his
friends, and told them of all he had learned.

It was agreed that they would wait till it was the master's watch, for
so few of the mutineers could take command of a watch, that he was
compelled constantly to be on deck. It was suspected that he had at
times given way to intemperance, and Paul had observed more than once
that when he came on deck he appeared to have been drinking, and that he
frequently dropped asleep when sitting on a gun or leaning against the
side of the ship. Many of the seamen who had free access to the
spirit-room were also constantly tipsy at night, though the chief
mutineers, from necessity, kept sober. The once well-ordered man-of-war
soon became like a lawless buccaneer. The men rolled about the decks
half tipsy, some were playing cards and dice between the guns, some were
fighting, and others were sleeping in any shady place they could find.

Paul passed old Croxton on deck. "We shall have little difficulty in
accomplishing our object if this goes on," he whispered.

"Yes, Paul, what is lost by fools is gained by wise men," he answered.
"Ay, and there is one who will gain more than all by the work done on
board this ship. He will soon leave his poor dupes to wish that they
had never been born."

Paul and his friends waited anxiously for night: they had resolved no
longer to delay their attempt.

"I'll take care that they don't follow us," said Reuben.