“Tumbled down the hatchway just now—can’t move my arm; I must go to the surgeon as soon as this is over.”
The hands were piped up again, but no one obeyed the order. Thus was the brig in a state of mutiny. “Mr Simple, go forward to the main hatchway with the marines, and fire on the lower deck,” cried the captain.
“Sir,” said I, “there are two frigates within a cable’s length of us; and would it not be better to send for assistance, without shedding blood? Besides, sir, you have not yet tried the effect of calling up the carpenter’s and boatswain’s mates by name. Will you allow me to go down first, and bring them to a sense of their duty?”
“Yes, sir, I presume you know your power, but of this hereafter.”
I went down below and called the men by name.
“Sir,” said one of the boatswain’s mates, “the ship’s company say that they will not submit to be flogged.”
“I do not speak to the ship’s company generally, Collins,” replied I, “but you are now ordered to rig the gratings, and come on deck. It is an order that you cannot refuse. Go up directly, and obey it. Quartermasters, go on deck with your seizings. When all is ready, you can then expostulate.”
The men obeyed my orders: they crawled on deck, rigged the gratings, and stood by.
“All is ready, sir,” said I, touching my hat to the captain.
“Send the ship’s company aft, Mr Paul.”