168 DOGGED 7ACK.

never want to," said the cook, with a great deal of
feeling in his voice.
 Will it hurt much ? asked Jack, feeling very
 uncomfortable now.
 "Hurt! bless us and save us II hope it won't kill
 you, boy; why were you so mad as to enrage him ?
 why didn't you say something-anything ?"
 "I didn't choose to, when he called me a thief.
 Billy, do you believe I took that mutton?" asked Jack
 falteringly.
 "Plague take the mutton!" said the cook hotly
 but evasively, "I wish I'd never said a word about
 it; I never meant to get you into a scrape with him,
 boy."
 "No, I know you didn't," replied Jack a little
sorrowfully, for, to say the truth, Billy's want of faith
in his word troubled him almost more than did the
horrors of the spread eagle."
 Nevertheless, as Jack lay in his hammock that
night, his heart beat considerably every time he
remembered the mate's threat, and he could not
help fearing the unknown fate that was to overtake
him on the morrow.