"Thankye, sir, thankye, that's very good of you. Why, Mr Dale, sir, you talk of our having a bad night. Tchah!--nothing, lad, nothing. How could it be a werry bad 'un when you have the luck to be shipped aboard a craft with a angel aboard? A angel, that's what I says, and Neb Dumlow and Barney says the same. We all said it arter the mutiny had begun, and that if we didn't get the best of old Frenchy somehow we'd eat our heads.--Lie down, will yer?" he roared, as he gave the side of the hatch so fierce a kick that I thought his heavy boot would have gone through. There was a heavy rustling sound, and the grumbling of voices plainly heard now, for the wind was rapidly falling. "That was French Jarette a-listening, sir, for a penny-piece," whispered Bob, for it was growing possible to whisper now. "Strikes me we arn't done with him yet, and if I might adwise, I should say as Mr Frewen ought to be sent down below with some of his doctor's stuff to pyson that chap like you would a rat, for there'll never be no peace while he's aboard. Hah!" he continued, smacking his lips. "There's your sort; here's Mr Preddle coming back with his face shining and smelling o' hot coffee like a flower-garding." Mr Denning turned round sharply, but checked himself as he saw that Mr Frewen was coming too. "Looks like my turn now." "Miss Denning is waiting to give you some coffee, Mr Hampton," said the naturalist. "Thankye for the mister, sir, and thank her for the coffee," said Bob, smiling, and he straddled off, the sloping of the deck as the ship rose and fell and heeled over being apparently of no consequence to him. CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. A few minutes later Mr Brymer joined us, rubbing his hands. "We shall almost have a calm in an hour, gentlemen," he said, "and smooth water, with nothing but a long heavy swell before night. I think we may all congratulate ourselves upon what we have done, for we've saved the ship." "Not yet," said Mr Frewen, pointing at the fore-castle-hatch. "No, not yet, doctor; but we've only one enemy to deal with now, and can devote all our attention to him. I think I can relieve two of you gentlemen now. Mr Frewen, will you fight out another hour or two, while these gentlemen go and change, and have an hour or two's sleep?" "I'll go and change," said Mr Denning; "but no sleep to-day." "Please yourselves, gentlemen; but you must have rest, and be in readiness for a call. Hah! that's grand; what should we do without the sun?"