From the hurricane deck came still another shot, and they tumbled down the ladder pell-mell. The Prince was shooting as calmly as at so many partridges. I ran down stairs and fetched my revolver, and when I returned I could hear no sound from the lower deck. Barraclough met me at the door of the saloon.
"There's not a pound of steam on her," he said. "The brutes have shut off the valves."
"Let her go," said I. "We have something more important on our hands. They'll be here again. The Prince took them by surprise. No English captain would have used his weapons so."
"No, by Heaven," he exclaimed. "This makes it a question of–"
He paused. Mr. Legrand came running along the deck.
"We've got it now," he said. "Oh, we've got all we want now."
"Look here," said I. "Is Ellison with you? I'm sure he's not in this?"
"Yes," said Barraclough.
"Well, post him at the ladder, and here's Grant. Let's find out how we stand."
"It'll be hot work to-night," said Legrand.
Day's voice came to us from his cabin door: "Sir John Barraclough, be good enough to place all the men you can trust on guard, with orders to fire in case of necessity. I shall be obliged for your company and that of the officers in my cabin."
We had four men, including Ellison, on the deck, and there was also the man at the wheel, who had not quitted his place through all these events. One could surely rely upon a man with such a sense of duty; so, having made such dispositions as were possible, Barraclough followed us to the captain. The ladies, I hoped, were safe in their cabins, as I had heard no sound of them.
Day was brief and businesslike. "Dr. Phillimore was right," said he. "I ask his pardon. We must see how many men we have. There is Mr. Lane and Mr. Pye. Where is Mr. Pye?"
"I am here, sir," said the little clerk from the back.
"That makes, including Mr. Morland, twelve men to depend on, so far as we know—if, that is," he added almost with a sneer, "we can depend on them."
"Grant may know more," said Legrand.
"Bring him," said Day, and opened the door to the Prince.
Prince Frederic was cool and collected, and showed little to mark the disturbance and bloodshed of the last quarter of an hour—little, unless it were in the increased blue of his eyes, which shone frostily.
"Have you all your men, captain?" he remarked in his determined German way, quite free of vivacity.
"We are sure of twelve," said Day, "and we are trying to find out about the others, so as to separate sheep and goats."
But here was Grant arrived, blood on his face, and a brisk air of savagery about him.
"Grant, who are the mutineers?" said the captain.
"Couldn't speak to 'em all, sir," said the man. "I knew nothing of it till half an hour ago, when I ran into them, and they seized me. There was Gray and Pierce and Mr. Holgate and Granger, and half a dozen in the lot that took me."
"Do you mean to say that you had no inkling of this?" said Day, with asperity.
"I'll take God to witness, no, sir," said the man earnestly, "and I'll take my oath Williams and Naylor hadn't neither."
"That makes two more," said the Prince, nodding. "But where are they?"
Grant looked over his shoulder in the direction which would indicate the forecastle. "If they're not here, sir, your highness," he said hesitatingly, "I don't know where they are. The stokers is all joined, I heard 'em say."
"Good Lord, they've made a clean sweep," said Barraclough, with a laugh. "And what's this about McCrae?"
"Mr. McCrae was shot at the first, sir, in seizing the engines."
"And they've fetched her pretty nigh to a standstill," growled the first officer. "Phew! No, there she goes," he exclaimed, as the screw began to bump. "They've picked her up. That'll be Crossley. He's with them, confound him."
"Then that leaves twelve," said the purser, "and forty-odd t'other side. Oh!" he whistled, "this makes swank, don't it?"
"Silence, Mr. Lane," commanded the captain. "We must first of all be on our guard, armed; and, secondly, see if we are in a position to add to our numbers. But we have the deck, which can only be reached one way. The stewards, Mr. Lane?" he asked quickly.
"I'll answer for the three, and the cuisine," declared the purser boldly. "I'll go bail on them. I've known Jackson on other voyages. I engaged 'em myself."
"Then who the devil engaged the others, I'd like to know?" asked Day, in his old irritable tone; at which, to the astonishment of all, a small voice broke the silence.
"I did, sir."
We all wheeled round. It was Pye. The little man fixed his gold glasses on his nose with two fingers in his nervous way, and blinked through them at us, unruffled as a cock-sparrow that yet had doubts.
"He, by heaven!" whispered Legrand to me, with infinite scorn. "He chose 'em!"
"And I regret to find, sir," pursued Pye, "that some of them have gone wrong. I feel myself in a way responsible."
"It all comes of putting things in the hands of lawyers," said Lane, with innocent recklessness.
Day looked down his nose. "Well, Mr. Pye," he said drily, "we'll try to forgive you. You fell in with the wrong crowd. If I had known–" he paused. "The question is, how are we to get in touch with the faithful men who may be in the forecastle?"
"If you will allow me, sir, I will venture into the forecastle and find out," said Pye, with a restrained sense of importance.
"You!" cried Day in amazement, and there was a general burst of laughter, except on the part of the Prince, who was eyeing Pye severely, and on the part of myself, who did not see anything for ridicule in the unexpected courage of a timid man.
"I feel in a way responsible," repeated Pye; but his protest was feeble in effort, for Day put him curtly aside.
"I fear you will not do, sir," said he.
"But I will, captain," I called out. The Prince's eyes came over to me, leaving Pye. He nodded and addressed Day in an undertone.
"My dear sir, they've marked you out first and foremost," said Barraclough.
"I'll back the doctor," declared Lane excitedly.
"Oh, I go only in the mission of humanity," I replied. "McCrae may not be dead. No one knows. And, what's more, the mutineers have two or three cripples on their hands. They won't lay a hand on me at present."
"That's true, Dr. Phillimore," remarked Day. "Well, if you have weighed the risks I will not prevent you. It is essential we should know something more. It will come to blows again, and that without notice. Mr. Morland," he hesitated, "wishes me to express his thanks for your offer."
"In that case," said I, acknowledging the compliment with a bow, "I may as well take time by the forelock," and nodding to Legrand, I slipped out on the deck.
CHAPTER VIII
The Capture of the Bridge
I walked through the darkness to the head of the ladder, where Ellison was on watch.
"Any news?" I asked the quartermaster.
"No, sir; all quiet," he answered, and as I made to go down he cried out, "Where are you going, sir? Don't do that. You can't go there."
"It's all right," I answered. "Keep your eyes open. Nothing will happen to me. And don't be lured from the staircase, whatever occurs; and here, take my revolver. I'm on a mission of peace." I slipped down the ladder and found myself in the gloom of the orlop deck. A lantern was hanging in the shrouds and I had not reached it before I was challenged.
"It's the doctor, Gray," said I, recognising his voice, "and come no earlier than you want him, I'll wager. There's more than one of you has got his gruel, I'm thinking."
He came into the light. "Are you armed, doctor?" said he.
"You can feel," said I, and he clapped his hands down my pockets.
"Well, I don't know," he said, in a hesitating way. "It's true enough. Davenport's dead as mutton, and Stephenson and Coyne are down in their bunks. But it's Mr. Holgate commands here. I'll call him." He went forward and whistled, and presently two other men approached, one of whom I saw was Holgate by his rolling form.