“A—a—all the port watch! Show a leg, lively, lads!�
I could hear the men of the watch below grumbling and cursing as they turned out. They had evidently been sent to their hammocks after the topsails had been reefed for a couple of hours in. I could also hear scraps of conversation as they struggled into their jackets and coats.
“Let’s do it.�
“Now?�
“Yes!�
“Shall we kill him?�
“This is the best time!�
“Aye, aye.�
“The old man’s alone!� and so on.
What I heard filled me with dismay. The purport was plain. I picked up the pistol and pointed it at the lock in the door. I had made up my mind, come what might, to blow off the lock and get free. Perhaps I could even yet prevent and overawe them. Before I could press the trigger, however, I heard a call on the deck above me, a shot, a rush of feet, a scuffle, oaths, curses, a cry for help, a groan, a fall!