Wardour still preserved his sullen silence. Crayford noticed him. standing apart from the rest, and appealed to him personally.
"Do you say nothing?" he asked.
"Nothing," Wardour answered. "Go or stay, it's all one to me."
"I hope you don't really mean that?" said Crayford.
"I do."
"I am sorry to hear it, Wardour."
Captain Helding answered the general suggestion in favor of volunteering by a question which instantly checked the rising enthusiasm of the meeting.
"Well," he said, "suppose we say volunteers. Who volunteers to stop in the huts?"
There was a dead silence. The officers and men looked at each other confusedly. The captain continued:
"You see we can't settle it by volunteering. You all want to go.
Every man among us who has the use of his limbs naturally wants to go. But what is to become of those who have not got the use of their limbs? Some of us must stay here, and take care of the sick."
Everybody admitted that this was true.
"So we get back again," said the captain, "to the old question--Who among the able-bodied is to go? and who is to stay?
Captain Ebsworth says, and I say, let chance decide it. Here are dice. The numbers run as high as twelve--double sixes. All who throw under six, stay; all who throw over six, go. Officers of the _Wanderer_ and the _Sea-mew_, do you agree to that way of meeting the difficulty?"
All the officers agreed, with the one exception of Wardour, who still kept silence.
"Men of the _Wanderer_ and _Sea-mew_, your officers agree to cast lots. Do you agree too?"
The men agreed without a dissentient voice. Crayford handed the box and the dice to Captain Helding.
"You throw first, sir. Under six, 'Stay.' Over six, 'Go.'"
Captain Helding cast the dice; the top of the cask serving for a table. He threw seven.
"Go," said Crayford. "I congratulate you, sir. Now for my own chance." He cast the dice in his turn. Three!" Stay! Ah, well! well! if I can do my duty, and be of use to others, what does it matter whether I go or stay? Wardour, you are next, in the absence of your first lieutenant."
Wardour prepared to cast, without shaking the dice.
"Shake the box, man!" cried Crayford. "Give yourself a chance of luck!"
Wardour persisted in letting the dice fall out carelessly, just as they lay in the box.
"Not I!" he muttered to himself. "I've done with luck." Saying those words, he threw down the empty box, and seated himself on the nearest chest, without looking to see how the dice had fallen.
Crayford examined them. "Six!" he exclaimed. "There! you have a second chance, in spite of yourself. You are neither under nor over--you throw again."
"Bah!" growled the Bear. "It's not worth the trouble of getting up for. Somebody else throw for me." He suddenly looked at Frank.
"You! you have got what the women call a lucky face."
Frank appealed to Crayford. "Shall I?"
"Yes, if he wishes it," said Crayford.
Frank cast the dice. "Two! He stays! Wardour, I am sorry I have thrown against you."
"Go or stay," reiterated Wardour, "it's all one to me. You will be luckier, young one, when you cast for yourself."
Frank cast for himself.
"Eight. Hurrah! I go!"
"What did I tell you?" said Wardour. "The chance was yours. You have thriven on my ill luck."
He rose, as he spoke, to leave the hut. Crayford stopped him.
"Have you anything particular to do, Richard?"
"What has anybody to do here?"
"Wait a little, then. I want to speak to you when this business is over."
"Are you going to give me any more good advice?"
"Don't look at me in that sour way, Richard. I am going to ask you a question about something which concerns yourself."
Wardour yielded without a word more. He returned to his chest, and cynically composed himself to slumber. The casting of the lots went on rapidly among the officers and men. In another half-hour chance had decided the question of "Go" or "Stay" for all alike. The men left the hut. The officers entered the inner apartment for a last conference with the bed-ridden captain of the _Sea-mew_. Wardour and Crayford were left together, alone.