"Naylor, here is the doctor inquiring after your health. Any questions he puts to you you are at liberty to reply to."
He moved away whistling cheerfully, and I called out, "Naylor, I only want to know one thing. How many of you are there?"
"Six, sir," said the man.
"All under hatch?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well; keep up your hearts. This is not the end. Good-night."
I went to Holgate. "Really," said I lightly, "I find there are more honest men in this ship than I had anticipated."
I don't think he liked that. "You've got twelve," he said drily. "And there's more than thirty with us."
"You forget one thing," I said. "We have the wheel, and to-morrow you may find yourselves steaming cheerfully up the river to Buenos Ayres, like any good liner."
"That would be a pity, wouldn't it?" he said with a grin. "But you also forget one thing doctor—that is, I've got the engines. Supposing those engines stopped?"