CHAPTER ELEVEN.
THE FIGHT.
"Oh, if I only dared hooray!" I said to myself; and then a flush of pride rose to my cheeks, for the captain gave me a smart clap on the shoulder.
"Bravo, Herrick!" he said in quite a whisper.

"I thought you were right, my lad, or I shouldn't have done all this.

Mr Reardon and I will make a fine officer of you before we have done." "Shall I pass the word down for the men to be on the _qui vive_ ?" said the lieutenant.
The captain laughed, and nodded his head in the direction of the hatches, which were black with peeping heads.
"No need, Mr Reardon; there is not a soul on board who does not know.
It is no time for making fresh arrangements.

We'll keep exactly to our plans.

Don't let a man show on deck, for depend upon it they will have a look-out aloft ready to give warning of danger, and we must not give them an excuse for signalling to their confederates to sheer off." "Keep steadily on, then, sir ?" "Yes, steadily and stupidly.