When Syd opened his eyes he was lying down, with Roylance kneeling by
his side, and a curious feeling of wonderment came over him as to what
all this meant.
"What's the matter?" he said, sharply.
"You fainted. Are you better now?"
"Some people do faint at the sight of a drop of blood," said a familiar
voice, followed by a sneering laugh.
It was medicine to Syd, and he felt better directly, and sat up.
"Give me my jacket and things," he said; and paying no heed to Terry,
who was standing close by the two men who had been placed over him,
busily helping with the rough tent they were fitting over the
lieutenant, he walked to his patient, to find him lying so passive that
he shuddered, and wondered whether the poor fellow was dead.
"Did I do wrong?" Syd asked himself. "Would he have got better if I
had left him alone?"
He felt his ignorance terribly as he asked himself these questions; but
the answer was ready for utterance as Roylance said, looking white as he
spoke--
"Oh, Belt, old fellow, what a horrible job to have to do!" And then,
"Would he have got right without?"
"No. If he had gone on bleeding from that artery he would by now have
been a dead man."
"But how did you learn all that? The lads can do nothing else but talk
about it."
"Hush! come away," said Syd. "Let him sleep, and"--he shuddered--"let
one of the men bring me a bucket of water."
It was well on in the middle of the day, and there was no sign of the
ship. The men had greatly improved the shelter up in the chasm; but
though the carriages were up one at each end near the positions they
were to occupy, the two guns which should by this time have been mounted
lay on the rock, the first one having brought down the tackle, and
bounded from a sloping stone on to the unfortunate lieutenant, pinning
him to the ground before he could get out of the way.
After seeing that his patient was carefully watched by one of the men
who had been his companion that morning, Syd was trying to drive away
the miserable feeling of faintness and exhaustion from which he suffered
by partaking of a little refreshment, when, just as he was thinking of
his father's orders, and that those guns ought to be mounted, the
boatswain came up, touched his hat to him and Roylance, and was about to
speak, when Terry strode up, and ignoring his brother midshipmen, said
sharply--
"Look here, bo'sun; that was all nonsense this morning. Mr Dallas is
wounded, and incapable. I am senior officer, and the captain's orders
must be carried out. Call the men together, and I'll have those guns up
at once."
"Ay, ay, sir!" cried Strake; his whistle sounded shrilly against the
sides of the rock, and the men came running up.
"All hands to hoist up the guns," cried Terry. "Now, bo'sun, have that
tackle fixed better this time."
"Ay, ay, sir. Now, my lads, be smart, and we'll have that gun up in a
jiffy."
The men were all gathered together in a knot, but no one stirred; and
they began muttering to themselves.
"Now, my lads; what is it?" cried the boatswain. "You don't mind a bit
o' sunshine, do you? Come, bear a hand."
Not a man stirred, and Syd and Roylance exchanged looks.
"What is the meaning of this?" cried Terry, in a bullying tone. "Do you
hear, men? I want these guns up directly."
Still no one stirred, and Terry grew pale. His one hand played about
his sword, and his other hand sought a pistol.
"Bo'sun!" he cried, "what is the meaning of this insubordination?"
Strake shook his head.
"D'ye hear, my lads? Mr Terry wants to know the meaning of this
ins'bordination."
Not a man spoke.
"Look here," cried Terry, drawing his dirk, "I am not going to be
trifled with. I order you to help hoisting up those guns. What do you
mean? Are you afraid of another accident?"
"No," cried the men with one consent, in quite a shout.
"Then look here, my lads," cried Terry, drawing a pistol, "I'll stand no
nonsense. Will you obey?"
"Look here, Terry," said Roylance, sharply, "there is no occasion for
violence. The men think they have some grievance; ask them what it is."
"Mind your own business, sir," cried Terry, sharply; but as Roylance
drew back with a deprecating gesture, he spoke to the boatswain.
"Ask the mutinous scoundrels what they mean," he said.
The boatswain went up to the knot of men.
"Now then, you swabs," he growled; "what's these here games?"
"We arn't going to have him playing at skipper over us," said one of
them. "The luff put him under arrest for interferin'."
"Ay, ay," growled the others; "we don't want he."
"S'pose you know it's hanging at the yard-arm for mutiny, my lads?" said
the boatswain, gruffly.
"Mutiny? Who want's to mutiny?" said another. "We're ready enough to
work, arn't we, messmates?"
"Ay, ay," came in chorus.
"Then lay hold o' the rope, and let's have them guns up yonder."
"Ay, to be sure; we'll get the guns up," said another man; "but Mr
Terry's under 'rest."
"Then you won't haul?" said the boatswain.
"Not one on us. He arn't an officer till he's been afore the skipper."
"Well, what am I to tell him?"
"What yer like," said one of the first speakers.
Strake gave his quid a turn, rubbed his ear, and walked back.
"Won't haul, sir," he said, laconically.
"What! Then it's mutiny. Mr Roylance, Mr Belton, draw your swords.
Bo'sun, run and get a cutlass and pistols."
"I don't want no cutlass to them, sir; I've got my fists," growled the
boatswain.
"What, are you in a state of mutiny too?" cried Terry.
"Not as I knows on, sir?"
"Then arrest the ringleader."
"Which is him, sir?"
"That man," cried Terry, pointing with his dirk to Rogers, one of the
smart young fellows who had been Syd's companion in the morning. "Bring
him here. Oh, if I had a file of marines!"
"Which you arn't got," muttered Strake, as he strode back to where the
men were together.
"Here you, Ike Rogers," he said; "I arrests you for mutiny."
"No, no," growled the men together.
"All right, messmates," said Rogers, laughing. "Can't put us in irons,
for there arn't none."
"Come on," said Strake, clapping him on the shoulder. "Mr Terry wants
you."
"What for?" said Rogers, eyeing the middy's dirk; "to pick my teeth?"
In the midst of a burst of laughter the boatswain marched the man up to
where Terry was, strutting and fuming about.
"Now, you scoundrel," he said; "what does this mean?"
"Beg pardon, sir; that's what we want to know."
"Then I'll tell you, sir; it's rank mutiny."
"There now, bo'sun; that's just what we thought," said Rogers, turning
to him. "I know'd it was, and that's why we wouldn't come."
"You scoundrel! You're playing with me," cried Terry.
"Nay, sir; not me. Wouldn't ketch me play with a orficer with a big
sword in his hand."
"Then tell me what you mean. You said it was mutiny, and so you would
not come."
"That's it, sir. Sworn to sarve the King; and when a young orficer,
which is you, sir, breaks out of arrest, and wants to lead a lot of poor
chaps wrong, 'tarn't me as 'll risk my neck."
Terry's jaw dropped at this unexpected reply, and Roylance burst into a
roar of laughter, in which he was joined by Syd, while Strake stood with
his face puckered up like a year-old pippin, and rubbed his starboard
ear.
"Mr Roylance!" cried Terry at last, "how is discipline to be preserved
while you encourage the men in this tomfoolery? I shall report it to
the captain, sir."
"Look here, Mr Terry," said Roylance, firmly; "the man is, in his way,
quite right."
"Ay, ay, sir," cried the others, who had closed in, following their
messmate.
"Quite right?"
"Yes; Mr Dallas put you under arrest."
"Mr Dallas is ill--dying, and unable to give orders, sir. I am your
senior."
"Oh, you're welcome to take command for me," cried Roylance. "I don't
want the responsibility."
"Once more, my lads, I warn you of the consequences. Will you go to
your work?"
There was no reply, and the men drew back, while Terry stood looking
along their faces with his pistol raised.
"Mind that there don't go off, please, sir," said Rogers, dryly. "You
might hit me."
There was a roar of laughter at this, and Terry stamped with rage.
"Shall I go and try and bring 'em to their senses, sir?" said the
boatswain.
"No--yes," cried Terry.
"Which on 'em, sir?" said the boatswain, dryly.
"Yes. Go and see, and tell them I'll shoot down the first man who
disobeys."
"Oh, Lor'!" groaned Rogers, with mock horror, and there was another
laugh, while Syd turned away unable to keep his countenance, and went to
where the lieutenant lay asleep.
"Look here, my lads," growled the boatswain; "it's no use kicking agen
it. Come on; lay to at the ropes, and let's get the work done."
"We arn't going to be bully-ragged by a thing like that," said the
oldest man present. "If he was a chap with anything in him, we would.
But he's a bully, that's what he is. Let Mr Roylance take command."
"Says as Mr Roylance is to take command, sir," shouted Strake.
"No," said Roylance, "I will not undertake the responsibility."
"Look ye here, messmates," cried Rogers, as Syd hung back from the
little tent, "Capen Belton's our skipper."
"Ay, ay," shouted the men.
"And he arn't here, and the luff's in orspittle."
"Well, we know that, Iky," said one of the men.
"Ay, lad; but here comes the son. I says let young Captain Belton take
command."
"Ay, ay!" thundered the men, and they gave three cheers.
"There you are, sir," said the boatswain. "Men says you're to take
command."
"I?" cried Syd; "nonsense. There's Mr Roylance."
"No, no," cried the men; and Terry stood grinding his teeth, and looking
threateningly at Syd.
"Look here, my lads," cried Syd; "the captain wants those guns mounted,
and this place held."
"Ay, ay, sir; we'll do it and hold it again anybody," cried Rogers.
"Very well put, Belton; very well," cried Terry.
"Your officer is helpless. Will you obey Mr Terry, and do your duty
like men?"
"No!" came with a roar.
"Then let Mr Roy lance take command. Come, be men."
"We arn't got nothing agen Mr Roylance," shouted a voice; "but we want
you."
"Go on, Belton; take command. The ship will be back perhaps to-night,
and we must have those guns up," said Roylance.
"Will you back me up?"
"Of course," cried Roylance, heartily.
"All right, then, my lads," cried Syd. "Now then, with a will."
"Ay, ay. Hooray!" shouted the men.
"Man signalling from the tent, sir," said Roylance.
"Oh!" ejaculated Syd, as a cold chill ran through him, and he shrank
from learning what it meant. "Go and see, Roy."
Roylance was already half-way there, and he came back directly.
"Mr Dallas says you are to take command, Mr Belton," he cried, loud
enough for the men to hear; "and he begs that at any cost you will get
the guns in position before dark."
"Ay, ay," yelled the men, and then there was dead silence.
"I am only one against you all, Mr Belton," said Terry, in a low,
snarling tone, "and the moment the _Sirius_ comes back, I go to the
captain and tell him the whole truth."
"Do," said Syd, quietly; "only tell him all."