"We shall see. There still remains a third chance. The carpenter is, or I have read his character upside down, a born murderer. It is possible that this villain may design to leave the man whom he sends into the hold to sink with the ship. He has not above half a dozen chums, confidential friends, among the crew; and it will be his and their policy to rid themselves of the others as best they can, so as to diminish the number of witnesses against them. If, therefore, they contemplate this, they will leave the ship while they suppose the act of scuttling to be actually proceeding. Now, amongst the many schemes which have entered my mind, there was one I should have put into practice had I not feared to commit any action which might in the smallest degree imperil your safety. This scheme was to cautiously sound the minds of the men who were not in the carpenter's intimate confidence; ascertain how far they relished the notion of quitting the ship for a shore that might prove inhospitable, or on which their boats might be wrecked and themselves drowned, and discover by what shrewdness I am master of, how many I might get to come over to my side if the boatswain and myself turned upon Stevens and killed him, shot down Johnson, and fell, armed with my revolver and a couple of belaying pins, upon Cornish and Fish--these three men composing Stevens' cabinet. I say that this was quite practicable, and no very great courage required to execute it, as we should have killed or stunned these men before they would be able to resist us." "There would be nine left." "Yes; but I should have reckoned upon some of them helping me." "You could not have depended upon them." "Well, we have another plan, and I refer to this only to show you a specimen of some of the schemes which have come into my head." "Mr. Royle, if you had a pistol to give me, I would help you to shoot them! Show me how I can aid you in saving our lives, and I will do your bidding!" she exclaimed, with her eyes on fire. I put my finger on my lip and smiled. She blushed scarlet and said, "You do not think me womanly to talk so!" "You would not hate me were you to know my thoughts," I answered, rising. "Are you going, Mr. Royle?" "Yes. Stevens, for all I know, may have seen me come in here. I would rather he should find me in my own cabin." "We see very little of you, considering that we are all three in one small ship," she said, hanging her head. "I never leave you willingly, and would be with you all day if I might. But a rough sailor like me is poor company." "Sailors are the best company in the world, Mr. Royle." "Only one woman in every hundred thinks so--perhaps one in every thousand. Well, you would see less of me than you do if I was not prepared to lay down my life for you. No! I don't say that boastfully. I have sworn in my heart to save you, and it shall cost me my life if I fail. That is what I should have said."