Also, considering some of the bitter lunatic spirits for'ard,
there would be a large chance of their drilling the Elsinore's steel
sides and scuttling her ere they took to the boats. For scuttling a
ship is surely as ancient a practice as mutiny on the high seas.
So it was, at one in the morning, that I tried out our strangers.
Two of them I took for'ard with me in the raid on the small boats.
One I left beside Margaret, who kept charge of the poop. On the
other side of him stood the steward with his big hacking knife. By
signs I had made it clear to him, and to his two comrades who were to
accompany me for'ard, that at the first sign of treachery he would be
killed. And not only did the old steward, with signs emphatic and
unmistakable, pledge himself to perform the execution, but we were
all convinced that he was eager for the task.
With Margaret I also left Buckwheat and Tom Spink. Wada, the two
sail-makers, Louis, and the two topaz-eyed ones accompanied me. In
addition to fighting weapons we were armed with axes.
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