There was a murmur of consultation amongst the men, and two or three of the cowards began to sneak to the rear of the group. "Wot er we goin' ter do?" asked the cockney. "St'y w'ere we are an' get plugged, rush 'im, or retryte. I ain't afryde of 'im an' I'm feelin' dyngerous." "He's got the drop on us, pard. It ain't no manner o' use that I ever see'd, takin' liberties wi' six-shooters," declared old Ben gloomily. "I'm gyme ter sock it to 'im, any'ow. I'll stand in ter jump 'im. Wot you sye, fellers?" The cockney was as pugnacious as a cock-sparrow, and far from lacking in courage. "Bedad, an' I'm with ye!" sang out Pat. "It vas too lade, anyway; der ole man vas too schmard vor us," grunted Muller heavily. "Dat am what I done told you," put in Sam. "Wot er you w'inin' 'bout there, you good-fer-nothin' nigger," sneered the cockney. "You ain't no bloomin' use, any'ow, so shut yer jaw." "Brazen sarpints!" broke in the old man again, "what's all this powwow about? Air yer goin' ter git forrard, or shall I slam her loose?" What the outcome of the matter would have been it is difficult to say, but at this interesting point a big sea interrupted the discussion most effectively. Toppling aboard amidships, it overwhelmed the mutineers and washed them helter-skelter in every direction. So the trouble finished, and Yankee discipline once more reigned supreme. Black Davis was taken below with a badly broken collar-bone, whilst the remains of Studpoker Bob, the gambler and sea-lawyer, were got ready for burial. For a few days the absent ones were discussed in the foc's'le, until the advent of Cape Horn weather drove all other thoughts out of the minds of the short-handed crew. But Curly went heavily-hearted about his work, whilst the big bosun also felt their loss in his own fashion. And before the westerly gale flew the _Higgins_, leaving two men, a boy, and three life-savers to the mercy of the great southern rollers. FOOTNOTES: [8] A cougar or mountain lion. [9] An expression meaning to stir up a whale's inside with a lance. When a whale spouts blood from his blow-hole, his chimney is spoken of as being afire. PART II CHAPTER I "ADRIFT" All three castaways were close together, and floated easily enough in the life-buoys with head and shoulders above water. "Thrown your life away, Jim," jerked out the rover, as he skilfully avoided a big breaker. "The old man won't round to--no boats." "Ain't there no chance o' gettin' aboard the whaler?" asked the boy. "She's dead to windward, an' seems to be driftin' down our way." "I allows as thar's p'ints in Jim's remyarks," observed the cowpuncher, floating with his back to wind and sea. "But say we-alls gets alongside: if this here sea butts us up agin her, we're shore liable to emerge tharfrom a heap busted an' unstrung." "Look out!" broke in Jack hurriedly, as he faced to windward, and the next moment the broken top of a sea rolled them over and over.