And now, sir, we've been obliged to put the cap'n in irons--he bein' stark, ravin' mad, you see--and we've got nobody to navigate the ship. And we thought, mayhap--Chips, and Sails, and I did--that, learnin' of our trouble, you might be able to spare us somebody to navigate the ship home." "Certainly," said I, "that can be done; for I happen to have on board the captain, mate, and part of the crew of a ship that was foundering when we fell in with her, and I have no doubt they will all be glad of this opportunity to get home. But this is a very dreadful story you have told me, my good fellow, and I hope you have ample proof of its truth; because, if not, it may go hard with you all when you reach home. You may possibly be charged with the murder of your two officers, you know; or with _all_ of them, should the captain unfortunately die. When did this dreadful business happen?" "The shootin', do you mean, sir? Four days ago." "Well, if you will wait a bit I will speak to Captain Baker, and hear what he says to the idea of taking charge of your ship. I suppose you can find room for his crew? There are ten of them altogether." "Oh yes, sir; and glad to have 'em. We were short-handed when we left Calcutta; and now--" "Yes, yes; of course," I interposed hastily. And, with a suggestion that his crew should come on deck and get some breakfast while waiting the progress of negotiations, I stepped aft to the wheel grating, where Captain Baker was busy spinning yarns to the youngsters, and, beckoning him aside, repeated the story I had just heard; winding up by asking him whether he felt disposed to undertake the duty of navigating the ship home. As might have been expected, he was more than willing to take advantage of so favourable an opportunity to return home; and as neither he nor his crew had anything to pack, or any preparations to make for the contemplated change, they were quite ready to leave us by the time that the _Calcutta's_ people had finished their breakfast. Before they left, however, it was privately arranged between Captain Baker and myself that, with the first breeze that came to us, the two craft should close, in order that I might have an opportunity of going on board and adding my signature to a declaration that he proposed to insert in the _City of Calcutta's_ log-book relative to the statement made to us by the boatswain, and the circumstances generally under which he was assuming the command of the ship.