"Stand aside then," he growled, "and let some one who is a man do it. Here, any one of you come and plant this powder, and show young Walters here how brave lads fight." We listened full of excitement for the next moment, as every one watched Mr Denning standing there close to the opening in the barricade, his arms and the gun invisible as he reached through toward the saloon-door. But there was perfect silence, not a movement to be heard, as Jarette burst into a nasty harsh laugh. "Don't all want to do the job?" he cried. "Not one to volunteer? Why, you laugh at me, and call me Frenchy, and brag about your English pluck, and not one man will come forward. Here you, Bob Hampton, your trick's over at the wheel; come and lay this powder." "What, to blow in the cabin-door?" came in familiar tones. "All right, skipper; only I don't know much about powder to make trains. You wet in, don't wild-fire on it?" "Bah! stand aside. Here you, Blane, lay that powder close up door." "What me, skipper? Anything in going aloft and settin' sail; but I know no more about gunpowder than a babby." "Get out of the way, idiot. Where's Dumlow?" "Which here I be," growled that individual. "Here, lay hold of this powder, and plant it, my lad, and then lay a train." "Take that there powder and lay a train?" said the big sailor. "Yes." "Not me." "What! You dare--" cried Jarette. "Lookye here, skipper," growled Dumlow, "don't you get poking that there pestle in my face, 'cause it might go off." "Yes, and it will go off," cried Jarette. "I mean to be obeyed by this crew, as I've just shown you." "Nay, but don't poke pestles in my face; 'cause it make me hit out, and when I hits out I hurts. You ask some one else." "Bah!" ejaculated Jarette; and the word sounded like the short, sharp bark of some cur, as it reached us through the barricade. "Goin' to plant it yourself?" said Bob Hampton. "Yes, you brave Englishman," sneered Jarette. "I'm going to show you what your captain can do." "Shoot the scoundrel!" said Captain Berriman, excitedly. "Impossible, without he comes into sight," whispered Mr Denning. "Can't you see him?" "No; he is pushing a bag of powder right in up against the door, and now sprinkling handfuls of powder up to it." "You come away," said the captain. "Quick, man! Here, every one lie down at the far end of the saloon." I was one of the first to run; but I came back with a can of water, and held it to Mr Frewen. "Can you do anything with that, sir?" I said. "No, my lad. Quite impossible to reach it effectually." I stood staring at the barricade and its openings for a few moments, and then an idea struck me. I had often seen my father's gun cleaned, and when the barrels were detached from the stack, taken them up to look through them, binocular fashion, to see whether they were clean inside. "Take off the barrels from that gun!" I said excitedly.