s
you hear the hatch close after them, go ahead and plug the holes as
quickly as you like, and be sure that you make a thorough job of it."

"Ay, ay, sir," came his reply, already muffled by distance and the
intervening casks and cases among which he was making his way, "you may
trust me for that."

I carefully replaced the hatch, adjusted the mat over it, and made my
way cautiously up on the poop. It was evident, from what I now saw,
that Maxwell was only just in time; for the pirates had knocked off work
and were coming up out of the hold, refreshing themselves as they
emerged by copious draughts from a tub of strong grog that stood on the
deck conveniently near the hatchway. They were all pretty far gone in a
state of intoxication, and were singing a jumble of at least a dozen
forecastle ditties in tones of maudlin sentiment, or laughing and
jeering at nothing in particular as they reeled and staggered about the
deck. Disgusting as was the sight, I was glad to see it, for I felt
that men in their condition would never notice the absence of Simpson or
myself from the brigantine, still less that of the unaccustomed faces of
those of the _Bangalore's_ crew who had joined me and were now snugly
concealed aloft. Nor were they capable of doing very much more
mischief, unless perchance they should accidentally set the ship on
fire, which was what I most greatly dreaded; if, happily, we escaped
this danger all might yet be well, for I felt convinced that, once on
board the brigantine again, and the unhappy negroes once more set to the
sweeps, nearly every man in the accursed craft's forecastle would betake
himself to his hammock and stay there until morning. There was of
course the risk that Mendouca might send for me and ask me to look after
his vessel for him through the night, knowing or guessing as he would
the condition of his crew; but I did not believe that he would, at least
not so soon after the perpetration of such fearful atrocities as he had
openly committed that afternoon.

The men having helped themselves freely from the grog-tub, until it
seemed that they could take no more, tumbled rather than scrambled down
into the boat alongside, and I was just beginning to cherish the hope
that after all they would go away forgetting to scuttle the ship, when I
saw Jose, the boatswain--who appeared to have assumed the command of the
party--seize and detain the only man except himself who still remained
on the ship