"By the living God!" I cried in a fury, grasping the heavy brass
belaying-pin, "if you come within a foot of me, Captain Coxon, I'll
dash your brains out!"
My attitude, my enraged face and menacing gesture, produced the desired
effect. He stopped dead, turned a ghastly white, and looked round at
Duckling.
"What do you mean by this (etc.) conduct, you (etc.) mutinous
scoundrels?" roared Duckling, with a volley of foul language.
"Give him one for himself if he says too much, Mr. Royle!" sung out
some hoarse voice on the main-deck; "we'll back yer!" And then came
cries of "They're a cursed pair o' murderers!" "Who run the smack
down?" "Who lets men drown?" "Who starves honest men?" This last
exclamation was followed by a roar.
The whole of the crew were now on deck, having been aroused by our
voices. Some of them were looking on with a grin, others with an
expression of fierce curiosity. It was at once understood that I was
making a stand against the captain and chief mate; and a single glance
at them assured me that by one word I could set the whole of them on
fire to do my bidding, even to shedding blood.
In the meantime, the man at the wheel had luffed until the weather
leeches were flat and the ship scarcely moving.
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