“Could you hear what they are saying?” asked the captain.
“Not very distinctly; there was too much shouting and yelling. But I could make out that they were inciting the men to attack us.”
“They would hardly do that,” answered the captain. “They know that we are armed, and on our guard.”
“No doubt, but they are armed too.”
“Armed? are you sure? I myself conveyed all the arms in the ship into the cabin, on the night after we left Cape Town.”
“In that case, there is either a traitor among the men who have access to your cabin, or they have brought their own arms on board. All the fellows we suspect are provided with cutlasses and revolvers, and I could see more lying about on the tables and benches.”
“Was Andersen, my servant, among them?”
“Yes, he was one of the most forward, apparently, of any.”
“He is the traitor, then. But that is of little consequence now. Do you think they will make their attack soon?”
“Not for another hour or two, I should say. They may ultimately succeed in getting the men to join them; but they are not ripe for it yet.”