"Why, you talk as if they were wild beasts in a cage, Mr Preddle," I said merrily. "So they are," he cried,--"worse. I feel sometimes as if I could kill them all." "Gone to her own cabin, Dale," said Mr Frewen, meeting us at the saloon-door-way, and Mr Preddle looked at us inquiringly. "Dale is afraid of Miss Denning seeing his wounds," said Mr Frewen, laughing. "He does not think they look the proper kind to be proud of." "I wish you wouldn't joke me about my bad face, Mr Frewen," I said, as we entered the far cabin, where the mate was seated by Captain Berriman's cot, and I was startled to see how changed he looked. But his eyes were bright, and he held out his hand to each in turn, as we stood about with the door well open, the place of course being very small. "Now, sir," said Mr Brymer, firmly, "you know how we stand. I'm horribly averse to taking life, but things cannot go on as they are." "No," said the captain, in a voice hardly above a whisper. "You must act now, and firmly, before there is loss of life on our side." "That means then," said Mr Frewen, "shooting down every man who attacks us." "Of course," said a low, firm voice, and I started to see that Mr Denning was standing outside. "My practice is always to save life if I can, Mr Denning," said the doctor, sadly. "Are you not too hard and revengeful?" "Neither, sir," replied Mr Denning, sternly. "If I were alone I would say nothing, but I have my sister to protect, and I say that at any cost these ruffians must not leave that place alive." There was so absolute a silence in the captain's cabin, that we all heard distinctly a piteous sigh from that which Mr Denning had just left. "Yes, Mr Denning is quite right," said Mr Preddle, in his highly-pitched voice. "I hate all this, and I am not a fighting man; but I know that I shall fire on the first wretch who tries to break out without a qualm." "You hear, Mr Frewen," said the mate; "I am forced by circumstances to take very strong measures." "That may mean the death of several of those misguided men?" said Mr Frewen, excitedly. "I fear so, sir. But Captain Berriman agrees with me that it is our duty, unless we like to well provision a boat and leave the ship." "But that would be a terrible alternative," said Mr Frewen, hastily. "Terrible, sir; and a cowardly and unfaithful one to the owners of the vessel." "But can we not keep the men down until you are able to run into some port?" "When we have run into the region of calms. No, sir, even if we had favourable winds we are horribly short-handed, and I should not dare to make much sail for fear of a change, and being unable to reduce it." "But that is not the point, doctor," said the captain, in a feeble voice; "those scoundrels are certain to make a desperate effort to break out before many hours have passed, and if they do, I fear that you gentlemen will be too humane to back up Mr Brymer and the men." "But--" began Mr Preddle.