The combined effect on Gary was to
render him more unreasonable and tyrannical than ever.
Oh, for more wind! They were hardly up into the trades yet, and at
that season, even the trades were uncertain.
But it was certain that unless enough favorable wind did come, and come
soon, they would hardly reach the Cape Verdes in time. Already crew,
negroes and all, were down to one pint of water to the man every
twenty-four hours. In that hot and stifling weather their tortures
grew almost unbearable.
One night Rucker, happening to want a night glass, left the deck for a
moment to go below for it, and passing close to the sleepy sentry, he
heard the same sounds which had aroused Duff's suspicions. After
Ralph's rebuff the second mate had made no further attempt to have the
thing investigated.
"What's that?" said he sharply to the sailor, who sat leaning against
the bulkhead, but the man made no answer.
Rucker shook him sharply, and at the same time scented the odor of
liquor about the fellow.
"Wake up. What have you been drinking? What noise is that?"
But receiving only unintelligible replies, and having to return
immediately to his watch on deck, he reported the circumstances to the
captain, who broke into a storm of invective. Rucker discreetly
withdrew.
Shortly thereafter Duff heard from his stateroom an uproar in the
gangway. Looking out, he saw the captain standing over the prostrate
form of the sentry, whom he had knocked down with the man's own gun.
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