"That's one enemy the less to deal with," cried the mate, as we went aft, followed by the sailor. "Only a couple of them to tackle." "I makes three of 'em, sir," said Hampton, "so don't you make no mistake. Barney will be as nasty as nasty at seeing hisself the wrong side, and find as he can fight when he likes." "Our friend Barney is already accounted for, Hampton," cried Mr Frewen. "What?--you have tackled him?" said Bob Hampton excitedly, slapping his knee. "Yes, that we have, Bob," I cried, "and he is quite safe." "Then I scuses you all for laughing, gentlemen; though it did seem rather a rum thing to me for you to be a-busting out in a loud grin at a serus time like this. I see now. You met him then?" "Yes, we met him," replied Mr Frewen, leading the way up the ladder to the poop-deck, "but he must wait." He cocked his pistol as he reached the top, and we did the same. "Shall I speak 'em first, gentlemen?" said Bob Hampton, in a low voice. "Yes, tell them to surrender," said the mate. "We don't want any more fighting; and look here, Hampton, we want their help to navigate the ship." "I know, sir," growled the old sailor, and stepping to the front he walked straight to where the two men still kept to their posts at the wheel, knowing as they did that to leave it meant throwing the ship into the trough of the sea to be deluged by every wave. "Game's up, my lads!" shouted Hampton. "Orficers has got the upper hand on us with loaded pistols, and you've got to knuckle down same as we have, and return to your dooty." "All right, messmate," said one of the men, shouting back so as to make his voice heard, "I don't mind; on'y what about Frenchy?" "Ay, what about Frenchy?" cried the other. "We don't want him to come cussin' us and saying it's all t'other way on." "Frenchy's down in the fork'sle, with the hatch over him, and two men with loaded pistols keeping guard, lads." "But s'pose he gets out again?" "They arn't going to let him," said Bob Hampton, "so what's it to be? I've knuckled down, and so's Neb Dumlow and Barney Blane. Are you going to return to dooty or make a fight on it? Just say sharp, 'cause we're in a hurry." "Oh, we don't want to fight," said the first speaker, "and we didn't want to mutiny, on'y Frenchy said we was to, and we did." "Pretty pair o' sheep you was, too, my lads, to run through a gap that way. And now look here, you, jest recklect all this; you've both got your necks in nooses, and Mr Brymer here's got hold o' the other ends of the ropes, so as he can pull 'em any time he likes, and he will too if you don't stick pretty close to your dooty. That's right, arn't it, sir?" "Yes, that's right, Hampton," cried Mr Brymer. "You understand, then, if you do your duty now and help to navigate the ship into port, your conduct may--I say may, mind--be looked over."