The voice of the bos'n was sharp: "None o' that! Wait till I give orders, Sam, before you raise a hand. We're too far from the coast. Let old Henshaw bring us close inshore, an' then we'll turn loose." "What I don't see," said one of the sailors, "is how we make out for hard cash after we hit the coast. We beach the Heron--all right; but then we're turned loose in the woods without a cent." "You're a fool," said Garry Cochrane. "We loot the ship before we abandon her. There'll be money somewhere." "Aye," said Hovey, "there's money. That's what I got you together for tonight. There's money, and more of it than you ever dreamed of." He waited for his words to take effect in the brains of the men, running his glance around the circle, and a light flashed in response to each eye as it met his. He continued: "White Henshaw cashed in every cent of his property before he sailed in the _Heron_. I know, because he used me for some of his errands. And I know that he had a big safe put into his cabin. For ten years everything that White Henshaw has looked at turned into gold. I know! All that gold he's got in that safe--you can lay to that." He turned to the sailor who had first raised the question: "Money? You'll have your share of the loot--if you can carry it!" They drew in their breath as if they were drinking. Hovey continued: "Now, lads, I know you're gettin' excited and impatient. That's why I've got you together. You've got to wait. And until I give the word, you've got to keep your eyes on the deck an' run every time one of the mates of White Henshaw--damn his heart!--gives the word. Why? Because one wrong word--one queer look--will tip off the skipper that something's wrong, and once he gets suspicious, you can lay to it that he'll find out what we're plannin'. I _know!_" There was a grim significance in that repeated phrase, "I _know_," for it hinted at a knowledge more complete and evil than falls to the share of the ordinary mortal. "Lads, keep your eyes on the deck and play the game until I give the word! If the wind of this comes to the captain, it's overboard for Jerry Hovey. I'd rather give myself to the sharks than to White Henshaw. That's all. "Now, lads, it's come to the point where we've got to know what we'll do. There's two ways. One is to crowd all them what ain't in the mutiny into one cabin an' keep 'em there till we beach the boat." "So that they can get out and tell the land sharks what we've done?" suggested Garry Cochrane in disgust. "Garry," said Hovey with deep feeling, "you're a lad after my heart. And you're right. If one of them lives, he'll be enough to put a halter around the necks of each of us. We couldn't get away. If we're once described, there ain't no way we could dodge the law." He grinned sardonically as he looked about the circle: "There's something about us, lads, that makes us different from other men."