Only those who have engaged in mutiny on board a ship can tell what the feelings of those men were as they stood there on deck and saw the man on whom they had depended to navigate the vessel carried below. The captain knew that something had been going on, for he and his first officer were standing up in their boats looking at the ship. She hadn't yet slipped her anchor, but she was all ready to do it when Captain Nellis came up to take command. When the captain had been laid away in his bunk the second mate came on deck again and took his stand by the rail.
"Don't look so despondent over it," said he, addressing himself to the mutineers. "There are seven men of us, and we can make a lively fight if he forces it upon us. I will do the talking."
By this time it became evident that the captain was coming back. He came up in a few minutes, and the second mate and Ben passed the man-ropes down to him so that he could easily climb aboard.
"What's the meaning of all this?" he asked, gazing around him with flashing eyes. "Have you been trying to get up a mutiny?"
"It means, sir, that we have had Captain Nellis out of his state-room and had him up here to command the vessel; but he is as crazy as a loon," said the second mate. "This here young man is a son of his."
"This young man here?" said the captain, with a start of surprise. "Turn to, all hands, and run up the boats. Bob, if you will go below and attend to your father, I will be down there and explain everything. Now, where do you want me to go?"
"To San Francisco," said Bob. "That's the nearest port there is around here, and I know if I could once get him there he would be taken care of."
"All right. Now, men, as soon as we get the ship under way I will make everything clear to you. Turn to and do your duty."
Bob was dumfounded with this captain's way of dealing with a mutiny. It was all over in two minutes. The men turned to with alacrity, and Bob, seeing them all at work, bent his steps to the cabin to wait upon his father. But he found that there was little waiting to be done. Captain Nellis lay upon his bunk in a deep stupor, and his face was so pale and his breath came at such long intervals that Bob began to think him past such medicines as he had at hand. The only thing he could do was to get the captain's pitcher of water and bathe his face with it. For a long time he kept water upon his face, and then the captain stirred in his stupor, opened his eyes, and looked at Bob.
"It's all right, Bob," said he, and the boy could hardly repress a cry of joy when he heard himself addressed in these familiar words. "This ship is still on an even keel."