"Pooh! there"s no more in it than the cat and a noose or two at the yard-arms can cure," said he. "However, keep your eyes open, Mr Gallagher, and report the first sign of mutiny. There"s nothing like nipping it in the bud."
For all the lieutenant"s a.s.sumed indifference, further consultation with the captain and the other officers resulted in some needful precautions being taken. The watches were increased, the ammunition was placed under extra guard, and picked men were told off to man the helm. As the south-easterly breeze was rising, too, orders were given to weigh anchor at once and put to sea.
The men obeyed the orders to set sail in a sullen, mechanical way, which did not grow more hearty as they saw that every officer carried his pistol in his belt, and watched the execution of every command with suspicious keenness.
It was only when the order to turn in gave them the opportunity of congregating in larger numbers and discussing the proclamation that they took heart, and arrived at something like a united policy. Had I had my own way that night, convinced as I was of the inevitable outcome of delay, I would have clapped down the hatches and left them there to deliberate till doomsday, or such time as they chose to beg for release on the captain"s terms. As it was, there was nothing to do but to speculate moodily on what the morrow would bring forth, and meanwhile make what use we could of the favouring breeze to put as many leagues as possible between ourselves and the treasonable neighbourhood of the Nore.
The worst of it was that the honest grievances of the seamen were so patent, and the injustice they suffered at the hands of officers like Lieutenant Adrian so flagrant, that had they been fairly stated and fairly met nothing but good could have come of it. But put forward as they were likely to be by a crew like ours, and encouraged and fomented by agitators such as those who had drawn up the proclamation, what issue was probable but one of desperate struggle and probably bloodshed?
It was plainly seen, when hands were piped next morning, that the temper of the men had changed for the worse. As they strolled indolently up on deck, and glanced up at the well-set sails, and saw the bows pointing due north, and as their eyes fell on the bright pistols and side-arms at the officers" belts, it was evident they were in some doubt as to what course to pursue.
They talked together in surly groups, arguing probably that on the high sea, away from support, and in the presence of a forewarned and forearmed body of officers, their chances of seizing the ship were not promising; and one or two were bold enough audibly to regret their folly for not having struck their blow and hoisted the red flag while the _Zebra_ lay in friendly company in the Downs.
Finally, as I supposed, it was decided to wait till we reached Yarmouth Roads, and claim the support of the mutineers there. Meanwhile orders were obeyed with ominous silence; and worse still, the few loyal men on whom the officers had counted to stand by them were got at and drawn into consultation with their messmates, and some of them were seduced into taking part with the malcontents.
Next afternoon we sighted sails to northward; but as just then the breeze fell dead, we were unable before nightfall to ascertain whether they were ships of Admiral Duncan"s squadron or not. While Lieutenant Adrian was deliberating with the other officers as to whether we should put off a boat to get word of them, the men came aft in a body and demanded a conference.
Their spokesman was an Irishman whom I recognised as one of the new hands brought on board at the last moment off Dublin. He was a glib, noisy fellow, clever most likely at anything but seamanship, of which he knew nothing, and very little acquainted with the seamen"s grievances of which he elected himself to speak.
Lieutenant Adrian, who was in an ill-enough temper at the time, ordered him to take himself and the dogs at his heels to the place they came from, unless he wanted to taste the lash.
The men, who had expected some such reception, stood their ground, and ordered Callan, for that was the leader"s name, to say on.
"It"s not yourself we need to speak to," said Callan, "it"s the captain.
Let us see him."
"My lads," said the ship"s surgeon, who was one of the officers present, "you are like enough to see your captain in his shroud before morning, for he is this moment at death"s door."
"So much the worse," replied Callan. "There was hope of justice out of Captain Swift; there"s none at all out of the lieutenant."
"There"s precious good hope of a rope"s end," retorted the enraged lieutenant hotly.--"Mr Gallagher, see that the fool is put in irons at once, and any one else that joins with him. We"ll soon put an end to this, even should a man dangle at every yard-arm for it!"
The only reply to this was a cheer from the men, and, what was quite unexpected, a sudden click of pistols as they drew up in two lines across the deck.
"Look"ee here, Mr Adrian," said Callan, "we"re not the fools you take us for. While you have been drinking, we have not been idle. The powder-magazine is ours, and the forward guns are loaded and primed and turned this way.--Stand aside, lads, and let them see for themselves."
The ranks opened, and sure enough in the forecastle we could see the muzzles of two twenty-four pounders pointed at the quarter-deck, and manned by some of the very men of whose loyalty until yesterday there had been least question.
Lieutenant Adrian, although a bully and a brute, was not lacking in animal courage, and betrayed no sign of dismay at this discovery.
"If you think we are to be frightened, hang you," said he, "you are much mistaken. What is it you want?"
A coa.r.s.e laugh greeted this tame ending to his speech. One old tar put himself forward before Callan could reply.
"It"s like this," said he, with a salute. "We mean no disrespect to the captain or the service, but--"
"Hold your tongue," said Callan, pushing him aside.--"What do we want?
That"s easy told."
And he took a paper from his pocket and read:--
"_First_. The first lieutenant, the third lieutenant, the master, the master"s mate, the boatswain, and Midshipmen Gamble and Brock, to leave the ship and be put ash.o.r.e.
"_Second_. The ship to be taken to the Nore, and placed under the orders of Admiral Parker.
"_Third_. The remaining officers either to take the oath or be placed under arrest.
"_Fourth_. Two delegates, chosen by the men, to attend the admiral"s council, and act and vote on behalf of the ship."
Lieutenant Adrian listened with an ill-concealed smile, in which, I confess, he was by no means alone.
"And what if we reject your precious first, second, third, and fourth piece of infernal impudence?"
"Then we shall take what we want without asking," replied Callan with cool effrontery. "You may take an hour to decide.--Come, boys."
The men gave another cheer, and retired singing "Rule, Britannia." They left, however, a strongly-armed picket to cut off access from the quarter-deck to the rest of the ship.
The night was still dead calm, and the _Zebra_ lay like a log in the sea, her sails drooping, and her head swinging idly with the tide.
"Well?" inquired one or two, looking at Lieutenant Adrian.
"Well?" retorted that officer. "If you want to know what I intend to do, I mean to drink a bottle of port below. There is but one answer to give, and nothing to discuss. So you may fetch me in an hour."
"Shall we tell the captain?" asked Mr Felton, the second lieutenant, who, if he had only been superior to Mr Adrian, would have seen us through the crisis with more credit than we were likely to get.
"Certainly not," said the doctor authoritatively. "The consultation in his cabin yesterday was a fatal mistake as far as he is concerned. Let him at least die in peace now."
"How many loyal men do we muster, Mr Gallagher?" said Mr Felton.
"Twenty-five, all told, sir," replied I. "We cannot count on any of the men for certain, though one or two may join us if it comes to a fight."
"It will certainly come to that," said Mr Felton quietly. And no one entertained the least question on that score.
"We have one ally more," observed the master, who had for some time been sniffing the night air. "Unless I mistake, there"s a sou"-wester coming up in a jiffy."
"I think you are right, master," said Mr Felton. "That will put us over to the Dutch side, anyhow."
"And there"s another ally yet, sir," said I. "They"ve got possession of the two casks of rum that were last shipped at Dublin."
"In that case," said the second lieutenant, laughing, "we may count on a full hour before we are disturbed. If we are to make a fight of it, let it be a good one. Gentlemen," said he, addressing the company, "the quarter-deck is still ours; twenty-five loyal men are a match for two hundred and fifty scoundrels any day. Bring the stern-guns into position, and throw up a barricade here. Look to your pistols and swords, and don"t waste bullets or powder. The worst they can do is to blow the ship up, and that they won"t do.--Master, you were right about the breeze. Bring her round as soon as she moves.--And some of you young gentlemen," said he to the midshipmen, "be ready to bear a hand aloft with the sails.--Mr Gallagher, watch your chance of getting round to the forecastle and doctoring the guns there. You are not a new hand, I hear, at such a job.--Now, gentlemen all, we can but die once; let us do it well while we are about it."
This spirited address had a great effect, and whatever sense of helplessness had been caused by the disparity of our numbers and the strong position of the mutineers, gave way to a desperate resolve to give a good account of ourselves before we yielded up the ship.
I could not help believing that some of the older and more experienced hands, though now borne down by the general feeling of insubordination, would side with us if only we could show a strong hand. If so, there would not be seamanship enough in the rest to set a topsail or read a chart; and every moment the breeze was freshening and promising us a lively morning.
The _Zebra_ still hung listlessly in the water, but any moment now she might get under way. There was no time therefore to be lost in getting un.o.bserved at the forward guns, which I was convinced was only to be done by dropping overboard and swimming round to the stem, where there was sufficient hanging tackle to help oneself on board with.
I secured the services of the master"s mate in this perilous venture--a tough sea-dog who was ready for anything, provided it was out of the commonplace. This business, I promised him, would at least be that.