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The mucker turned, a sulky scowl upon his lowering countenance, and the

second officer saw that it was the fellow who had given Ward such a trimming the

first day out.

Oh, it's you is it, Byrne?" he said in a not unpleasant tone. "Come to my quarters

a moment, I want to speak with you," and so saying he wheeled about and

retraced his way below, the seaman at his heels.

"My man," said Theriere, once the two were behind the closed door of the officer's

cabin, "I needn't ask how much you overheard of the conversation in the

captain's cabin. If you hadn't overheard a great deal more than you should you

wouldn't have been so keen to escape detection just now. What I wanted to say to

you is this. Keep a close tongue in your head and stick by me in what's going to

happen in the next few days. This bunch," he jerked his thumb in the direction of

the captain's cabin, "are fixing their necks for halters, an' I for one don't intend to

poke my head through any noose of another man's making. There's more in this

thing if it's handled right, and handled without too many men in on the whack-up

than we can get out of it if that man Divine has to be counted in. I've a plan of my

own, an' it won't take but three or four of us to put it across.

"You don't like Ward," he continued, "and you may be almighty sure that Mr.

Ward ain't losing any sleep nights over love of you. If you stick to that bunch

Ward will do you out of your share as sure as you are a foot high, an' the chances

are that he'll do you out of a whole lot more besides--as a matter of fact, Byrne,

you're a mighty poor life insurance risk right now, with a life expectancy that's

pretty near minus as long as Bender Ward is on the same ship with you. Do you

understand what I mean?"

"Aw," said Billy Byrne, "I ain't afraid o' that stiff. Let him make any funny crack at

me an' I'll cave in a handful of slats for him--the piker."

That's all right too, Byrne," said Theriere. "Of course you can do it if anybody

can, provided you get the chance; but Ward isn't the man to give you any chance.

There may be shooting necessary within the next day or so, and there's nothing to

prevent Ward letting you have it in the back, purely by accident; and if he don't

do it then there'll be all kinds of opportunities for it before any of us ever see a

white man's port again. He'll get you, Byrne, he's that kind.

"Now, with my proposition you'll be shut of Ward, Skipper Simms, and Divine.

There'll be more money in it for you, an' you won't have to go around expecting a

bullet in the small of your back every minute. What do you say? Are you game, or

shall I have to go back to Skipper Simms and Ward and tell them that I caught

you eavesdropping?"

The Mucker