Needs must when the devil drives; and so Taffir went into the cabin, standing by while Santos, Blanco, Carlos, Watto, and Lopez ransacked it for everything of value. They broke open boxes and chests, wrenched open the desks, and, gathering all the money they could find, took it into the main cabin, where they laid it upon the table for division.
“Dole it out in seventeen parts,” said Lyons to Taffir.
“No!” screamed the Turk. “Make it eight!”
“Shut up!” said Lyons threateningly, and Taffir thought that the thieves were going to quarrel amongst themselves. However, the matter was smoothed over, and Lyons had his own way.
Into seventeen parts the money was divided.
“Here’s yours,” said Lyons to the mate.
“I won’t touch a cent of it,” said Taffir, seeing what the idea was.
“You’ll do as I tell you,” cried Lyons, “or——”
He let the rest go by default, and Taffir knew what he meant. There was nothing for it, and, taking the share, the mate carried it to one of the writing-desks and put it in there, though he never saw it again. Perhaps the greedy Turk had it.
Next the mutineers allotted out the captain’s clothes, though they did not give Taffir a share of them. When they came to Smith’s watch they decided that, as they couldn’t very well divide that, they would keep it till they landed, when they might be able to sell it. The timepiece was therefore put into the writing-desk with Taffir’s money; but that also disappeared, and later was a source of trouble.