“How shall you set about it,” asked the Commandant.

“By giving orders, and taking mighty big care that everybody on this ship carries them out.”

Commandant Balliot rubbed at his close, scrubby beard, and bared his teeth viciously.  Behind him, from the distant sandbank, the rebel bullets rapped unceasingly at the launch’s iron plating.  “But I am the senior in rank,” he repeated again.  “Officially I could not resign the command in your favor.”

“Yes, I know.  But here’s the situation packed small:  if you climb up, and do the large, and perch on your blessed rank, we shall probably see this day out, but we certainly sha’n’t see another in.  You’re at the end of your string, and you can’t deny it.”

“But if you’ve a suggestion to make which will save us, make it, and I will act.”

“No,” snapped Kettle.  “I’ll either be boss and carry out my schemes my own way; or else, if we stay on as we are, I hold my tongue, and you can go on and arrange the funeral.”

“If you can get us out of this mess—­”

“I’ve said I can.”

“Then I will let you take the command.”

“Well and good.  In the first place—­”

“Wait a minute.  I resign to you temporarily; but, understand, even if I wished to, I could not do this officially.  When we get down to Leopoldville—­when we get down to the next post even—­”

“Oh, you can collar the blooming credit,” said Kettle contemptuously, “when we do get clear away to any of your own headquarters.  I’m not looking for gratitude either from a Belgian or from the Congo Free State.  They don’t like Englishmen.”

“You are not a lovable nation,” said Commandant Balliot spitefully.

“Now,” said Kettle, thrusting his fierce little face close up to the other, “understand once and for all that I will not have England abused, neither do I take any more of your lip for myself.  I’m Captain of the whole of this show now, by your making, and I intend to be respected as such, and hold a full captain’s ticket.  You’ll call me ‘sir’ when you speak, and you’ll take orders civilly and carry them out quick, or, by James! you’ll find your teeth rammed down your throat in two twinkles of a handspike.  Savvy that?”

The man of the weaker nation subsided.  There was no law and order here to fall back upon.  There was nothing but unnerving savagery and vastness.  The sandbar where their wrecked launch lay was out in the middle of the Congo, perhaps eight miles from the park-like lands which stretched indefinitely beyond either bank.  The great river astern of her glared like a mirror under the intolerable sunshine; came up and swirled around her flanks in yellow, marigold-smelling waves; and then joined up into mirror shape again till the eye ached in regarding it.  The baking sky above was desolate even of clouds; there was no help anywhere; and on another distant sandbank, where here and there little bushes of powder smoke sprouted up like a gauzy foliage, a horde of barbarous blacks lusted to tear out his life.