He promptly struck the lieutenant over the head with it, knocking him out of the rigging and overboard.
And then, in the man's own words: "I saw what I had done.

I knew the Regulations, and I said to myself, 'It's all up with you, Jack, my boy; so here goes.' An' I jumped over after him, my mind made up to drown us both.

An' I'd ha' done it, too, only the pinnace from the flagship was just comin' alongside.

Up we came to the top, me a hold of him an' punchin' him.

This was what settled for me.