Part 19 (2/2)
”Beg pardon, Mr. Sedgwick. He'd stick at deck swabbing if I stood over him with a handspike,” the burly mate answered grimly. ”Truth is, gentlemen, I don't think that of your mutiny.” And he snapped his fingers with a complacent laugh. ”Mind you, I don't deny the men are a bit unsettled, what with all this talk of treasure that's going around.
What they need is roughing and, by the jumping mercury, Johnny Mott is the man to do it!”
There are none so blind as those who will not see. We could not even persuade Mott to accept a revolver. He had made up his mind that the whole thing was nothing more or less than a mare's nest.
”What do you know of the men?” I urged. ”Take our engineers. We picked up the Flemings on the wharf because we needed engineers in a hurry.
The day before we sailed I saw George Fleming on the wharf talking to this man Bothwell. They are working together against us.”
”What of it? Let them work. But don't go to dreaming about mutiny, Mr.
Sedgwick. You ask what I know of the crew. By your leave, I know this much. I've bullied American seamen for thirty years come next November, and there's not an ounce of mutiny in a million of them.”
And at that we had to let it go for the present. There were more important things on hand than the conversion of a wooden-headed tar.
Leaving Mott at the wheel we adjourned to the deck saloon for a discussion of ways and means. Miss Wallace sauntered in with a magazine in her hand.
The captain's eye questioned mine. I nodded. She would have to learn soon how things stood, and I trusted to her courage to hear the news without any fainting or hysterics. The color washed out of her face, but she showed not the least sign of panic.
”What can I do?” she asked in a steady voice.
”At present you may join an officers' council, Miss Wallace,” said he.
”The first thing to find out is who are for us and who against. Let's take the enemy first. There is Bothwell himself to begin with, and, of course, the two Flemings and Caine. Are we sure of any others?”
”Johnson,” I replied at once. ”He was one of the two men who attacked me at San Pedro. I thought at the time one of the voices sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. After I reached the boat I noticed Caine watching me closely. The reason is clear enough to me now. He and Johnson slugged me, and he was watching to see if I had any suspicion of him.”
”Sure, Jack?”
”Quite. I couldn't swear to them, but I'm morally certain. Johnson's English is just a little broken. It was his voice I knew.”
”That makes five against us so far. We can add the firemen to that, since George Fleming chose them.”
”Eight to begin with. What about the rest of the crew?”
”The man they call Tot Dennis was signed for me by Caine. Afraid we'll have to give him to the enemy.”
”Williams is a great friend of Dennis. I've seen them together a lot,”
Evelyn suggested.
”That's true, but Williams has sailed with me twice before. I did think I could have trusted him.”
”No doubt Caine and Bothwell have been influencing him. Put Williams down doubtful.”
We checked off the rest of the crew by name, but could find no evidence against any of them.
”How many can we depend upon?” Evelyn asked.
”Yeager, Mott, Morgan, Jack here, and myself. That's five to begin with,” counted Blythe.
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