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“For one thing,” replied Malcolm, and testily, for ill temper prevailed both aft and forward, ‘‘we gave the gunners no firing to learn them their guns. For another thing, the powder failed us. For yet another, since you say what you say, and be cursed for it, ’t were a mad, foolish notion to run afoul a strange ship, for we have but a half the company we need to work a ship and fight. And finally, to cap our woeful proverbs, we know what we know — yea,” and he shot a dark glance from under bent brows, “we know what we know; there be those who come toward us with their feet, but go from us with their hearts.” His voice, as always, was light and quick, but there was a rumble in it, such as one may sometimes hear in a dog’s throat.

As the three men looked first at one and then at another, there came to Boatswain Marsham, sitting as it were outside their circle, the uneasy throbbing of their suspicion.

“Of the powder,” said Jacob coolly, “I have taken a little from each barrel.’’ He laid on the table seven packages wrapped in leaves from an old book. Regarding closely the notes he had written on each package, he opened them one by one and placed them in a row.

“This,” said he, ‘‘is from the barrel that good Harry Malcolm served out to the men and that doubtless this man Candle hath used from in old days. It hath lost its strength by long lying. Press it with thy fingers and thou shalt feel it soft to the touch. Here upon this white sheet of paper I lay four corns of this powder. This other powder” — and he chose a second package — "is from a barrel new opened. Press it and thou shalt see how firm and hard is each corn. And this, too, is firm and of a fair azure, And so, also, this. But this