“‘Mr Marling!’ says a voice, which I recognised at once as Black Harry’s, whispering in my ear, ‘you need not fear nothing, only keep quiet, and no harm will be done to you; but if you tries to make a noise, why, we’ll have to quiet you in a way you won’t like!’
“With that, you may be sure, I was as tranquil as a mouse, while they tied me down to a ring-bolt close by the cabin skylight, so that I couldn’t move; but from my position I could see and hear everything that went on afterwards, although I couldn’t get the gag out of my mouth so as to be able to speak.
“‘Now, men,’ I heard Black Harry then say aloud; ‘now, we’ll pay out that devil below! I wonder how he’ll like his mutinous dogs at close quarters?’ and he laughed a horrible bitter laugh.
“Then I heard them begin to descend the companion ladder into the captain’s cabin.
“They didn’t go far enough! No sooner had Black Harry placed his foot on the first stair, followed by the other mutineers, than there was a flash and a stunning explosion from below. The captain, who had the quick hearing of a hound, must have caught the sound of their tussling with me on the deck, for he was ready for them with his double-barrelled gun. I saw him distinctly by the flash through the skylight, standing at the foot of the companion, while Gripper, the second officer, was hurrying up behind him through the door leading into the steerage where our berths were. Yes, I saw the captain. He had fired one shot, and stood waiting with the other barrel ready.
“‘Come on, you dogs!’ I heard him exclaim as he discharged the gun. ‘There’s one dose of slugs, and I’ve got another handy for you!’
“The men from the sound appeared to shrink back for a second, but the next minute they rushed down in a body; there was a second report of the captain’s gun, and I received, unbeknown to him, poor fellow—for he didn’t intend it, I know—a slug right in my eye here; and for some time I was in such agony that I didn’t know what occurred below, although I heard plenty of shots fired, and the sound of hand-to-hand fighting mingled with oaths, and curses, and cries.
“When I recollected myself again there was Black Harry near me surrounded by only four others, as well as I could see after wiping the blood off my face with part of my arm, which I was able to do by wriggling at my lashings; the rest must have gone under in the scrimmage.
“‘Now, you villain,’ I heard Black Harry say again in a voice full of spite and anger, ‘I’ve got you! Lash him up there in the lee rigging!’ says he to his fellow-murderers; and in a trice I saw the poor cap’en, quite pale and exhausted, fixed like a spread eagle in the mizzen shrouds to leeward. ‘Now, you villain!’ says Black Harry again, cocking one of the captain’s revolvers which he had ready in his hand, ‘you said you would riddle us just now if we didn’t go aloft after treating us like dogs ever since we came on board your cursed ship! Well, Jarvis, you dog—Cap’en Jarvis, I beg your pardon!—I intend to riddle you now!’
“The cap’en didn’t say a word; he only looked at him; but if looks could kill, his would then!