Certainly Colliver
and Railton were the only two of whom we could be sure as yet.
Nevertheless the supposition was amazing.
"I had arrived at this point in my calculations when a yell which I
recognised, told me that they had caught Cox the helmsman and were
murdering him. After this came dead silence, which lasted all
through the night.
"I must hasten to conclude this, for we have no light in the cabin,
and I am writing now by the faint evening rays that struggle in
through the sky-light. As soon as morning broke I determined to
reconnoitre. Cautiously removing the barricade, I opened the cabin
door and stole up the companion ladder. Arrived at the top I peered
cautiously over and saw the mutineers sitting by the forward hatch,
drinking. They were altogether four in number--Colliver, Railton, a
seaman called Rogerson, who had lately been punished by Captain
Holding for sleeping when on watch, and the cook, a Chinaman.
Rogerson was not with the rest, but had hold of the wheel and was
steering. The vessel at the time was sailing under crowded canvas
before a stiff sou'-westerly breeze.
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