Balaam left the poop hurriedly and was heard inquiring for the mutineer who dared to put his oar in at such a time. Every man jack on the main-deck protested it was not he.
'Very well,' said Balaam, 'when I find who it is, I'll hammer him flat, flat! I'll massacre him!'
He came back to the poop and resumed his talk with Wood.
'Not enough for two—hic—and if there was you shouldn't have it. I'll give you a bag of split peas!'
The men in the Scanderbeg groaned. They had been living on split peas for three days. Bill Waite signified what he thought of the offer by taking an iron belaying pin from the rail and throwing it at old Balaam. It was a good shot, but the distance was too great. It hit the rail of the Cormorant and fell into the sea.
'Split peas,' said Fred Day; 'oh, lor'! What'll our old man say to that?'
Wood was a gentleman, and he very rarely used bad language. There are times, however, when language to do any good to the user must be bad, and Wood told Balaam what he thought of him. He ran the Scanderbeg close up alongside until Balaam thought he was going to be boarded, and then addressed him. His crew roared with applause and hissed Balaam furiously. They called him every horrible thing they could think of, and Charlie Baker said 'Hear, hear' from the Cormorant's main-deck.
'It ain't our fault, maties,' he cried. 'Old Balaam's a cock-eyed blighter!'
But Wood roared, 'Silence fore and aft,' and spoke once more.
'Will you divide the provisions, Captain Balaam? I ask you for the last time.'