Whitehouse sat at the head of the table, and about the mate was gathered all of the afterguard and three of the crew. They had been drinking from square faces of gin. The empty bottles and glasses littered the sea racks; sour limes were scattered about.
The two engineers sat in one corner of the cabin with their feet sprawled along the deck and their eyes bleared and baleful. They had been loudest in calling for the death of Stirling, since the seal pelts within the forehold of the Pole Star constituted a king's ransom. Each man's share would be well up in the thousands. They saw no reason for taking the slightest chances.
Baldwin leered at the Ice Pilot and nudged his companion. "Shootin' is too good," Baldwin said. "I'd like to put the squealer in a fire box and turn on forced draft—if we had forced draft."
Stirling faced the two men with composure. The possession of the little revolver, the knowledge that a hungry, ragged horde was even then approaching the ship, held him confident. Much might happen within the space of minutes. The drunken afterguard would be no match for the outcasts.
Marr cleared his throat, moved to the door, and, closing it, turned with sudden fire and anger. "We've been talking all of an hour," he said, bitterly. "Time's up! It'll be daybreak before we do anything. We're all together in this. What do you say we take a vote and decide. There's just two things to do to him—cast him ashore, or drop him overboard."
"And if you drop that lad," said Whitehouse, "see that there is a blym big anchor spliced to 'is legs. 'E's a water dog, besides being a hard hitter. 'E's dangerous—'e his!"
"Him good man—dead!"
Stirling turned and faced a Kanaka harpooner. "What have I ever done to you?" he asked. "You know me. I've always treated you boys right. Remember the Beluga and the Karluk and the Norwhale? You forget easy. You've been filled with gin, and you are not yourself."
"Me like hear 'em talk," the Kanaka said, with a sheepish grin.
Marr saw the drift of affairs and assumed swift control. Stirling was well thought of among the natives of the Siberian shore and the islands of the Pacific. The simple-minded Kanakas could be easily influenced.