cushions of the couch was under his right hand； and snatching it up he flung it across the little cabin full in the face of the escaped prisoner。 The soft mass struck the man with force sufficient to blind him for an instant。 The musket exploded harmlessly in the air； and ere the astonished Barker could recover his footing； Bates had hurled him out of the cabin； and crying 〃Mutiny！〃 locked the cabin door on the inside。
The noise brought out Mrs。 Vickers from her berth； and the poor little student of English history ran into her arms。
〃Good Heavens； Mr。 Bates； what is it？〃
Bates； furious with rage； so far forgot himself as to swear。 〃It's a mutiny； ma'am；〃 said he。 〃Go back to your cabin and lock the door。 Those bloody villains have risen on us！〃 Julia Vickers felt her heart grow sick。 Was she never to escape out of this dreadful life？ 〃Go into your cabin； ma'am；〃 says Bates again； 〃and don't move a finger till I tell ye。 Maybe it ain't so bad as it looks； I've got my pistols with me； thank God； and Mr。 Frere'll hear the shot anyway。 Mutiny？ On deck there！〃 he cried at the full pitch of his voice； and his brow grew damp with dismay when a mocking laugh from above was the only response。
Thrusting the woman and child into the state berth； the bewildered pilot cocked a pistol； and snatching a cutlass from the arm stand fixed to the butt of the mast which penetrated the cabin； he burst open the door with his foot； and rushed to the companion ladder。 Barker had retreated to the deck； and for an instant he thought the way was clear； but Lesly and Russen thrust him back with the muzzles of the loaded muskets。 He struck at Russen with the cutlass； missed him； and； seeing the hopelessness of the attack； was fain to retreat。
In the meanwhile； Grimes and the other soldier had loosed themselves from their bonds； and； encouraged by the firing； which seemed to them a sign that all was not yet lost； made shift to force up the forehatch。 Porter； whose courage was none of the fiercest； and who had been for years given over to that terror of discipline which servitude induces； made but a feeble attempt at resistance； and forcing the handspike from him； the sentry； Jones； rushed aft to help the pilot。 As Jones reached the waist； Cheshire； a cold…blooded blue…eyed man； shot him dead。 Grimes fell over the corpse； and Cheshire； clubbing the musket had he another barrel he would have firedcoolly battered his head as he lay； and then； seizing the body of the unfortunate Jones in his arms； tossed it into the sea。 〃Porter； you lubber！〃 he cried； exhausted with the effort to lift the body； 〃come and bear a hand with this other one！〃 Porter advanced aghast； but just then another occurrence claimed the villain's attention； and poor Grimes's life was spared for that time。
Rex； inwardly raging at this unexpected resistance on the part of the pilot； flung himself on the skylight； and tore it up bodily。 As he did so； Barker； who had reloaded his musket； fired down into the cabin。 The ball passed through the state…room door； and splintering the wood； buried itself close to the golden curls of poor little Sylvia。 It was this hair's…breadth escape which drew from the agonized mother that shriek which； pealing through the open stern window； had roused the soldiers in the boat。
Rex； who； by the virtue of his dandyism； yet possessed some abhorrence of useless crime； imagined that the cry was one of pain； and that Barker's bullet had taken deadly effect。 〃You've killed the child； you villain！〃 he cried。
〃What's the odds？〃 asked Barker sulkily。 〃She must die any way； sooner or later。〃
Rex put his head down the skylight； and called on Bates to surrender； but Bates only drew his other pistol。 〃Would you commit murder？〃 he asked； looking round with desperation in his glance。
〃No； no；〃 cried some of the men； willing to blink the death of poor Jones。 〃It's no use making things worse than they are。 Bid him come up； and we'll do him no harm。〃 〃Come up； Mr。 Bates；〃 says Rex； 〃and I give you my word you sha'n't be injured。〃
〃Will you set the major's lady and child ashore； then？〃 asked Bates； sturdily facing the scowling brows above him。
〃Yes。〃
〃Without injury？〃 continued the other； bargaining； as it were； at the very muzzles of the muskets。
〃Ay； ay！ It's all right！〃 returned Russen。 〃It's our liberty we want； that's all。〃
Bates； hoping against hope for the return of the boat； endeavoured to gain time。 〃Shut down the skylight； then；〃 said he； with the ghost of an authority in his voice； 〃until I ask the lady。〃
This； however； John Rex refused to do。 〃You can ask well enough where you are；〃 he said。
But there was no need for Mr。 Bates to put a question。 The door of the state…room opened； and Mrs。 Vickers appeared； trembling； with Sylvia by her side。 〃Accept； Mr。 Bates；〃 she said； 〃since it must be so。 We should gain nothing by refusing。 We are at their mercyGod help us！〃
〃Amen to that；〃 says Bates under his breath； and then aloud； 〃We agree ！〃
〃Put your pistols on the table； and come up； then；〃 says Rex； covering the table with his musket as he spoke。 〃And nobody shall hurt you。〃
CHAPTER X。
JOHN REX'S REVENGE。
Mrs Vickers； pale and sick with terror； yet sustained by that strange courage of which we have before spoken； passed rapidly under the open skylight； and prepared to ascend。 Sylviaher romance crushed by too dreadful reality clung to her mother with one hand； and with the other pressed close to her little bosom the 〃English History〃。 In her all…absorbing fear she had forgotten to lay it down。
〃Get a shawl； ma'am； or something；〃 says Bates； 〃and a hat for missy。〃
Mrs。 Vickers looked back across the space beneath the open skylight； and shuddering； shook her head。 The men above swore impatiently at the delay； and the three hastened on deck。
〃Who's to command the brig now？〃 asked undaunted Bates； as they came up。
〃I am；〃 says John Rex； 〃and； with these brave fellows； I'll take her round the world。〃
The touch of bombast was not out of place。 It jumped so far with the humour of the convicts that they set up a feeble cheer； at which Sylvia frowned。 Frightened as she was； the prison…bred child was as much astonished at hearing convicts cheer as a fashionable lady would be to hear her footman quote poetry。 Bates； howeverpractical and calm took quite another view of the case。 The bold project； so boldly avowed； seemed to him a sheer absurdity。 The 〃Dandy〃 and a crew of nine convicts navigate a brig round the world！ Preposterous； why； not a man aboard could work a reckoning！ His nautical fancy pictured the Osprey helplessly rolling on the swell of the Southern Ocean； or hopelessly locked in the ice of the Antarctic Seas； and he dimly guessed at the fate of the deluded ten。 Even if they got safe to port； the chances of final escape were all against them； for what account could they give of themselves？ Overpowered by these reflections； the honest fellow made one last effort to charm his captors back to their pristine bondage。
〃Fools！〃 he cried； 〃do you know what you are about to do？ You will never escape。 Give up the brig； and I will declare； before my God； upon the Bible； that I will say nothing； but give all good characters。〃
Lesly and another burst into a laugh at this wild proposition； but Rex； who had weighed his chances well beforehand； felt the force of the pilot's speech； and answered seriously。
〃It's no use talking；〃 he said； shaking his still handsome head。 〃We have got the brig； and we mean to keep her。 I can navigate her； though I am no seaman； so you needn't talk further about it； Mr。 Bates。 It's liberty we require。〃
〃What are you going to do with us？〃 asked Bates。
〃Leave you behind。〃
Bates's face blanched。 〃What； here？〃
〃Yes。 It don't look a picturesque spot； does it？ And yet I've lived here for some years〃； and he grinned。
Bates was silent。 The logic of that grin was unanswerable。
〃Come！〃 cried the Dandy； shaking off his momentary melancholy； 〃look alive there！ Lower away the jolly…boat。 Mrs。 Vickers； go down to your cabin and get anything you want。 I am compelled to put you ashore； but I have no wish to leave you without clothes。〃 Bates listened； in a sort of dismal admiration； at this courtly convict。 He could not have spoken like that had life depended on it。 〃Now； my little lady；〃 continued Rex； 〃run down with your mamma； and don't be frightened。〃
Sylvia flashed burning red at this indignity。 〃Frightened！ If there had been anybody else here but women； you never would have taken the brig。 Frightened！ Let me pass； prisoner！〃
The whole deck burst into a great laugh at this； and poor Mrs。 Vickers paused； trembling for the consequences of the child's temerity。 To thus taunt the desperate convict who held their lives in his hands seemed sheer madness。 In the boldness of the speech however； lay its safeguard。 Rexwhose politeness was mere bravadowas stung to the quick by the reflection upon his courage； and the bitter accent with which the child had pronounced the word prisoner （the generic name of convicts） made him bite his lips with rage。 Had he had his will； he would have struck the little creature to the deck； but the hoarse laugh of his companions warned him to forbear。 There is 〃public opinion〃 even among convicts； and Rex dared not vent his passion on so helpless an object。 As men do in such cases； he veiled his anger beneath an affectation of amusement。 In order to show that he was not moved by the taunt； he smiled upon the taunter more graciously than ever。
〃Your daughter has her father's spirit； madam；〃 said he to Mrs。 Vickers； with a bow。
Bates opened his mouth to listen。 His ears were not large enough to take in the words of this complimentary convict。 He began to think that he was the victim of a nightmare。 He absolutely felt that John Rex was a greater man at that moment than John Bates。
As Mrs。 Vickers descended the hatchway； the boat with Frere and the soldiers came within musket range； and Lesly； according to orders； fired his musket over their heads； shouting to them to lay to But Frere； boiling with rage at the manner in which the tables had been turned on him； had determined not to resign h