Page:Cruise of the Dry Dock.djvu/94

 navvies, with an English dread of legal authority, hesitated, thinking perhaps Caradoc had deserted them purposely to clear his own skirts in the mutiny.

Madden instantly caught up the loose ends of his raveling authority.

“Lay him on the bunk, Galton!” he commanded.

Galton obeyed instinctively, half carrying the long sagging form to the bunk.

“Hogan!” he thundered at the cyclone on his right, “you and Mulcher stop that! Stop it, Mulcher!” he turned to some of the men. “Part 'em there! Stop 'em!”

Six navvies, three to the man, jumped and grabbed the combatants.

“Just look, will you?” Madden pointed to Caradoc on the bunk. “You fools have followed a man half mad with a sunstroke! He has blown his nerves all to pieces with a rum bottle, and you bunch of mush-heads have mutinied to give him more rum so he could finish the job!”

The leaderless insurgents stared at Caradoc's still form, then began filing out of the cabin.