captain as his crew.

The harbour pilot, however--a consequential Mulatto in a Panama hat and
red feather, and decorated with a badge and staff--was more
sharp-sighted, and soon perceived, from the irritable tone in which the
song at the capstan was sung again as they warped the vessel round to
her anchorage in the Ilha das Cobras basin, that there was discontent
prevailing on board; and it was no doubt owing to a hint from him that
already the same evening there were "runners" waiting about near them on
the quay.

Captain Beck was out of humour both with himself and with his crew. Down
in a warm climate he was always irritable, and now that he believed his
authority weakened he had become a perfect tyrant. The prospect of
another voyage under his command was more than many of his crew could
face, and preparations were made by many of them to leave the ship as
soon as they should have received whatever portion of pay on account the
captain proposed, as is customary when a vessel is in harbour, to
distribute. Salvé, however, did not wait for this, and already, the
second night, he and the Brazilian had disappeared.

There was a sharp search instituted, with the assistance of the harbour
police, especially in the house of one particular runner who had been
seen talking with the crew. But he gave them such full liberty to search
his house, and showed such a clear conscience in the matter, that the
police had to admit that they were off the scent this time.

The captain after this intrusted the nightwatches only to those among
the crew upon whom he could place reliance, hauled off from the quay
every evening, and absolutely refused all leave on shore. He had only