Poor Bill! His martyrdom stood us in good stead in our hour of need.
On the other side of the deck there was a lively struggle from which came fierce yells as each man sought to persuade his friends to his own way of thinking:
"Stand by, lads, stand by—"
"——the bloody money!—"
"Hanged for mutiny—"
"I know where my bed's made soft—"
The greater part of the men, it seemed, were lining up behind Kipping and Captain Falk, when a scornful shout rose and I was aware that some one else had come over to our side. It was old Davie Paine. "He didn't ought to shame me in front of all the men," Davie muttered. "No, sir, it wa'n't right. And what's more, there's lots o' things aboard this ship that ain't as they should be. I may be poor and ignorant and no shakes of a scholar, but I ain't goin' to put up with 'em."
So we six faced the other twelve with as good grace as we could muster,—Roger, the cook, Blodgett, Neddie Benson, Davie, and I,—and there was a long silence. But Roger had got out his pistol now, and the lull in the storm was ominous.