Mr. Barnard concluded his opinion with an expressive gesture.
"And he knows little or nothing about submarine work," added Cain.
"He thinks he does, sir," said the bo'sun. "To hear him talk about what he can do with the Alerte submerged, you'd think he'd been at it nearly all his life."
"I wouldn't care to trust him to take the Alerte down," declared Cain. "And I doubt whether there are others on board who would."
"Must be moving, sir," interrupted the bo'sun. "The boats are coming off from the beach. I'll sound some of the hands. There ought to be enough of us to scupper that skunk Pengelly, but it's no use trying to talk sense to them while they're three sheets in the wind."
As soon as the new pirate captain came over the side, he gave orders for the boats to be hoisted and watches set for the night, explaining that the latter precaution was necessary owing to the possibility of the ship swinging on to the mud when the tide changed. He then had Cain taken below and placed in the compartment previously occupied by Jasper Chamfer. The ex-skipper's bonds were removed, food and drink were placed in his cell, together with a mattress and bedding.
Pengelly was considerably anxious concerning his treatment of Cain. He feared him even though the late skipper was safely under lock and key. There was always a chance of the hands turning against him, Pengelly, and demanding that Cain should again assume command. While the deciding factor that prompted Pengelly to keep his captive on board was the fact that Cain alone knew how to control the Alerte when submerged.
At dawn the hands were turned out and piped to breakfast. Most of them had slept off the brutish effect of unlimited quantities of rum. One or two were in a happy state, others inclined to be quarrelsome and pugnacious. But on the whole they were in fair possession of their faculties and were only too ready to get under way.
As soon as the motors were started up and the anchor out, the Alerte was headed down-stream, Pengelly being on the bridge and Marchant, the gunner, conning the ship from the bows as she threaded her way down the intricate and tortuous channel.
Presently Pengelly leant over the bridge-rails.