"Ay, ay! Stick to the text!" added Hyde.
"Hold on, and I will see how many fellows answer the call," continued Raymond, nervously, as he stationed himself at the door of the room, where he could see the seamen who went up the ladder.
"Count them," said Lindsley.
It was an exciting moment to the rebels, for however real they believed their grievances to be, probably not many of them were satisfied with the expediency or the justice of the measure they had adopted to redress them.
"Only twelve!" exclaimed Raymond, when the last of the faithful had ascended the ladder.
"That's bully!" said Hyde, rubbing his hands with satisfaction at the assumed success of the scheme.
"Are you sure that you counted right?" inquired Lindsley.
"I counted ten, and added Tremere and Willis to the number, for they had gone up before I began. I didn't expect even as many as that would go."
But the enthusiastic rebel had made a blunder. A portion of those who intended to obey orders, having no motive for remaining below, had gone on deck as soon as they finished their suppers. Sixteen of these, added to the twelve who went up from the steerage, made the twenty-eight who first answered the call.
"Only twelve!" repeated Hyde.