Meanwhile the bosun had all hands busily engaged bending the main course. As the sail was stretched and the rovings passed, a subdued muttering went on, which in the present ugly humour of the men the bosun wisely took no notice of. Presently there was a hail from the deck. "Bosun, send me down er couple er them jailbirds o' yours." A low, sibilant hiss of deadly venom ran along the yard at the sound of the mate's voice. "Hm!" thought the bosun as he listened, "there's some of 'em pretty near ready for a word spelt with a big M." He scanned the men on the yard for a moment in silence, and then carefully picked out two harmless ones. "Pinto an' you, Green, get down on deck an' see what the mate wants." With ludicrous haste these two worthies hurried down the ratlines, for they knew by experience what it meant to keep Black Davis waiting. "Neow, yew two," said the mate, "skip forrard, an' if yew ain't got thet bosun's locker cleared out in two jiffs, thar'll be all-fired trouble." They dashed off like a pair of frightened colts, and in record time reappeared with the statement that the locker was entirely bare. "Left no blocks an' marlin-spikes behind, have yew?" asked the mate suspiciously. "No, sir," came the reply in a hasty duet. "Wall, I guess yew know what'll happen if yew have," he said with meaning. "Neow, pick up the body of the second mate, take it forrard, an' lay it on the shelf," he went on. "Aye, aye, sir!" came the hurried duet again. As the two men rolled staggering off with the heavy form of the dead bucko, Black Davis turned to the dago on the deck. "Know what I'm goin' ter do with yew, Mister Mate-killer? No? Wall, y'll soon find out. I reckon I'll have yew some tamed before I done with yew! Neow then, up yew git." Except for a deep groan Pedro took no notice. At this the mate seized him by his shirt-collar and dragged him on to his feet. For a moment the poor wretch swayed tottering, and then, with a great effort, collected his strength and retained his equilibrium. "Oh, yew can stand, hey? Wall, neow, suppose yew walk forrard into thet bosun's locker." Unsteadily Pedro lurched forward, dragging himself along slowly, followed by the bucko dangling the handcuffs. The bosun's locker was small, and there was hardly room for the mate and his victim besides the dead man on the shelf; and as Black Davis entered, the miserable Chilian backed up against the bulkhead in doubt as to what was going to happen next. "Hold out y'r hand," commanded the mate; and as Pedro obeyed, he snapped the handcuff on it; the other he slowly clasped upon the wrist of the dead bucko, whilst Pinto and Jimmy Green, standing hesitating what to do, watched him with eyes of horror from the doorway.