Whilst I was dishing the dinner, Will told me he had carried a pannikin of rum and some bread and meat into the forecastle. Nodder drained the pannikin, but refused the food. Will accosted him civilly, having received his cue from Tom. The brute, after drinking, sat up and asked how it was that Captain Butler was out of quod. ‘He was transported for fourteen years,’ he said. ‘He’s got eleven or twelve year to sarve yet. Who’s the smothered bloke that was down here a-calling of hisself Captain Butler?’ Will answered: ‘Rotch knows.’ ‘What’s been done to him?’ ‘He’s locked up just now,’ says Will. ‘Are they a-going to hang him?’ ‘If he don’t confess.’ On this Nodder lay back and turned his face to the brig’s side, and Will came away. When we sat down to dinner, Collins being at the helm, Tom cut some beef and filled a tumbler half full of wine, and sent the meal by Mr. Bates to Rotch. Bates was some time in the cabin with the villain; indeed, his own dinner was cooling. Suddenly Tom jumped up, and, going to my berth, which he used when he worked out his sights, the navigating instruments and charts being there, fetched some writing-paper, pen and ink. Bates at that moment appeared at the end of the cabin; Tom called to him, ‘Oblige me by putting these things into Rotch’s berth.’ Bates did so, locked the door, sat down, and fell to his meal. ‘Did he speak?’ said Tom. ‘Yes,’ said the mate. ‘He has an evil eye. He’s aged ten years, too. He said: “Captain Butler talks of hanging me. Does he mean it?” “Yes,” said I; “but you know how to save your life.” “He hang me! That ’u’d be murder! Curse him! You’re a brother sailor. Would you stand by and allow it to be done?” “I’m no brother sailor of yours,” said I. “Right the man you’ve diabolically wronged by making a clean breast of your wickedness. If you don’t, there’s never a brother sailor aboard this brig that won’t pull all his beef into the rope that yardarms ye!” I thought he’d fling himself upon me. His face was as full of devilish malice as you could have squeezed out of all hands aboard the convict ship. I put down his grub and came away. He didn’t speak when I took in the paper and ink.’ The subject was changed, and the talk that followed mainly concerned the routine to be adopted.