The mate, a black-haired, fierce-eyed fellow of about twenty-five, set about the task with much deliberation.
“And look lively, you lump,” continued the skipper.
“I don’t want none of your lip,” said the mate furiously; “so don’t you give me none.”
The skipper yawned, and stretching his mighty frame laughed disagreeably. “You’ll take what I give you, my lad,” said he, “whether it’s lip or fist.”
“Lay a finger on me and I’ll knife you,” said the mate. “I ain’t afraid of you, for all your size.”
He put out the side-lights, casting occasional looks of violent hatred at the skipper, who, being a man of tremendous physique and rough tongue, had goaded his subordinate almost to madness.
“If you’ve done skulking,” he cried as he knocked the ashes out of his pipe, “come and take the helm.”
The mate came aft and relieved him; and he stood for a few seconds taking a look round before going below. He dropped his pipe, and stooped to recover it; and in that moment the mate, with a sudden impulse, snatched up a handspike and dealt him a crushing blow on the head. Half blinded and stunned by the blow, the man fell on his knees, and shielding his face with his hands strove to rise. Before he could do so the mate struck wildly at him again, and with a great cry he fell backwards and rolled heavily overboard. The mate, with a sob in his breath, gazed wildly astern, and waited for him to rise. He waited: minutes seemed to pass, and still the body of the skipper did not emerge from the depths. He reeled back in a stupor; then he gave a faint cry as his eye fell on the boat, which was dragging a yard or two astern, and a figure which clung desperately to the side of it. Before he had quite realised what had happened, he saw the skipper haul himself on to the stern of the boat and then roll heavily into it.
Panic-stricken at the sight, he drew his knife to cut the boat adrift, but paused as he reflected that she and her freight would probably be picked up by some passing vessel. As the thought struck him he saw the dim form of the skipper come towards the bow of the boat and, seizing the rope, begin to haul in towards the barge.
“Stop!” shouted the mate hoarsely; “stop! or I’ll cut you loose.”