“It was tit for tat,” said Shuffles.

“I told nothing which would harm either of us, for I am just as deep in the mud as you are in the mire.”

“That’s true.  We must hang together.”

“I hope not,” replied Pelham, laughing.  “We have got into this scrape, and we must get out of it.”

“Suppose the captain or the second lieutenant should make the signs to one of our fellows, and he should tell what we were going to do.”

“I told all my recruits not to answer any signs now, whoever made them.”

“I did the same, when I found the captain knew them.”

“Then we are safe; but the silver pitcher must be forthcoming.”

“The fellows will all be glad enough to get out of this scrape by paying ten shillings.”

“Very well; then every one of them must sign an order on Mr. Lowington for ten shillings, payable to Dr. Winstock,” added Pelham.

“They will do it.  Are you sure nothing has leaked out?”

“Very sure; there would have been a tremendous commotion before this time, if our real object had been even suspected.”

“No doubt of that.”

“After all, Shuffles, do you really think we intended to take the ship?”

“I did; I know that.”

“I don’t believe I did,” said the fourth lieutenant.  “Nothing seemed exactly real to me, until I went overboard.”

“It was more real to me then than ever before,” replied Shuffles.  “What shall we do with the Chain now?”

“Nothing; we may want to use it again, some time.  Let every fellow keep still.  When the principal gets his silver pitcher, which the doctor will procure as soon as he can go up to Cork, he will think the members of the Chain are the best fellows on board.”

“I think you have sold the whole of us, Pelham,” continued Shuffles, with a sheepish smile.  “Here’s the end of the Chain——­”

“Yes, and we may be thankful that it isn’t the end of a rope instead of a chain,” laughed Pelham.  “The penalty of mutiny is death.”

“I have had no fear of that; it would have been regarded only as a lark.  But it is really amusing to think where we have come out,” added Shuffles.  “We formed the ‘Chain’ because Lowington was tyrannical; most of the fellows joined it because he took their money from them.”

“Precisely so.”

“And we are going to end it by giving Lowington a silver pitcher, in token of our respect and esteem!”

“In other words, Shuffles, we have played this game, and whipped out each other, without any help from the principal.  It was mean business—­I really think so; and while we were trying to overreach each other, the game slipped through our fingers.  I am really grateful when I think what an awful scrape we have avoided.”

“Perhaps you are right,” replied Shuffles, thoughtfully; “but there was fun in the scheme.”

“There might have been, if we had succeeded; but it would have been anything but fun if we had failed.  Some of us would have found quarters in the brig, and we should not have been allowed to go on shore when we reached Queenstown.”