And all the time there was such a rolling sea the two ships were like
to pound their bulwarks to kindling wood. Then the Ste. Anne eased
off, sheered away, and wore ship for open sea.
Pierre Radisson turned. There faced him that grim, mutinous crew.
No need to try orders then. 'Twas the cat those men wanted. Before
Pierre Radisson had said one word the mutineers had discovered the deck
cannon pointing amidships. A shout of baffled rage broke from the
ragged group. Quick words passed from man to man. A noisy, shuffling,
indeterminate movement! The crowd swayed forward. There was a sudden
rush from the fo'castle to the waist. They had charged to gain
possession of the powder cabin--Pierre Radisson raised his pistol. For
an instant they held back. Then a barefoot fellow struck at him with a
belaying-pin.
'Twere better for that man if he had called down the lightnings.
Quicker than I can tell it, Pierre Radisson had sprung upon him. The
Frenchman's left arm had coiled the fellow round the waist. Our
leader's pistol flashed a circle that drove the rabble back, and the
ringleader went hurling head foremost through the main hatch with force
like to flatten his skull to a gun-wad. There was a mighty scattering
back to the fo'castle then, I promise you.
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