Межзвёздный скиталец

           Itwasclose,sharpworkinthedimlightofthestars,anditwasamercytheboatwasnotoverturned.Ihadreasontobethankfulformymanyshirtsandcoatswhichservedmeasanarmour.Theknife-thrustsscarcelymorethandrewbloodthroughthesogreatthicknessofcloth,althoughIwasscratchedtobleedinginarounddozenofplaces.

           Theothersweresimilarlyprotected,andthefightwouldhaveendedinnomorethanamaulingallaround,hadnotthemate,WalterDakon,averypowerfulman,hitupontheideaofendingthematterbytossingthemutineersoverboard.ThiswasjoinedinbyCaptainNicholl,thesurgeon,andmyself,andinatricefiveofthesixwereinthewaterandclingingtothegunwale.CaptainNichollandthesurgeonwerebusyamidshipswiththesixth,JeremyNalor,andwereintheactofthrowinghimoverboard,whilethematewasoccupiedwithrappingthefingersalongthegunwalewithaboat-stretcher.ForthemomentIhadnothingtodo,andsowasabletoobservethetragicendofthemate.AsheliftedthestretchertorapSethRichards’fingers,thelatter,sinkingdownlowinthewaterandthenjerkinghimselfupbybothhands,spranghalfintotheboat,lockedhisarmsaboutthemateand,fallingbackwardandoutboard,draggedthematewithhim.Doubtlesslyheneverrelaxedhisgrip,andbothdrownedtogether.

           Thusleftaliveoftheentireship’scompanywerethreeofus:CaptainNicholl,ArnoldBentham(thesurgeon),andmyself.