208 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

“T couldn’t say exactly, but it seemed like as if they
was tryin’ to persuade the helmsman it oughter be fixed
that way. It’s no use to listen now,” the sailor added,
as Ben crept softly toward the door. “They went for-
ward five minutes ago, and I reckon there’s nobody this
way but him who’s at the wheel.”

Ben visited Sam, who reported that he had heard noth-
ing, save, now and then, the sound of footsteps along the
deck.

“Tt stands to reason they believe we’re trying to make
out what they are doin’, so won’t keep very nigh here,”
the sailor added, and Ben crept noiselessly into the
pantry, arriving at the open window which was screened
by the shutter of slats, just as two of the mutineers came
in that direction.

“JT don’t hold to it that we’ve got any call to set the
brig on fire,’ one of the newcomers said. “What did
we put our necks ina halter for? Jest to get a chance
to destroy the brig? Not much. When them coolies
talked to me ’bout what we’d do, it was only with the
idee that the captain should put back to St. Helena;
but now they reckon on burnin’ the craft, an’, if their
plans are carried out, I’d like to know what we’ve made
out of this ere mutiny?”

« Put our necks in a noose for a couple of yeller skinned
villains, that’s what we’ve done,” the other sailor replied,
gravely. ‘We acted more like babies than men, letting
them pull us into the scrape; but now we’re here, it’s a
case of stayin’, for there’s no other way out of it.”