"What are you doing here?" he demanded. And there wasn't a word from one of them; they looked as sheepish as four stowaways interviewing the skipper before a crowd of passengers.
"Get on deck," said Ryder. And much to McGill's astonishment the addition to the crew appeared with the captain behind them.
"Divide this lot among the watches," said Ryder.
Leaving McGill to "tumble to the racket," he walked to the mate's berth and explained to him that henceforth the Star of the South would go about as easy by day as by night.
"Then they're not dead!" cried Semple.
"Not by a jugful," said Ryder, nodding.
"This is very lucky, sir," said the mate, smiling.
"It's confoundedly irregular, too," replied the skipper, as he rubbed his chin. "Are you sure you knew nothing of it, Mr. Semple?"
"Me, sir! Why, I'd look on it as mutiny," said Semple; "rank mutiny!"
"It was Mrs. Ryder's notion, Semple."