“But there’s not a spot in the shoal except the Eel’s Gate that we’ve a ghost of a chance of getting through,” cried Manton, becoming excited as the schooner dashed towards the breakers like a furious charger rushing on destruction.
“I know it.”
“And there’s barely water on that to float us over,” he added, striding forward, and laying a hand on the wheel.
“Half-a-foot too little,” said Gascoyne, with forced calmness.
Scraggs grinned.
“You shan’t run us aground if I can prevent it,” cried Manton, fiercely, seizing the wheel with both hands and attempting to move it, in which attempt he utterly failed, and Scraggs grinned broader than ever.
“Remove your hands,” said Gascoyne, in a low calm voice, which surprised the men who were standing near and witnessed these proceedings.
“I won’t. Ho! lads, do you wish to be sent to the bottom by a—”
The remainder of this speech was cut short by the sudden descent of Gascoyne’s knuckles on the forehead of the mate, who dropped on the deck as if he had been felled with a sledge hammer. Scraggs laughed outright with satisfaction.
“Remove him,” said Gascoyne.