38 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

leaving port; but no suspicious actions were seen, and he
began to think these boatmen of his were as honest as any
of their competitors to be found in the vicinity of Pedder’s
Wharf, which was not giving them very great praise.

In a little more than half the time he had allowed for
the voyage, the owner of the craft directed his attention
to a square-rigged brig lying at anchor close to the
island.

« Poglesef Egg,” the Chinaman said, as he pointed to
the vessel, and Ben could almost have hugged himself for
joy, on noting the fact that the decks were deserted.

It was evident the natives had not discovered her defence-
less condition, and he had arrived in time to put into exe-
cution the plan already formed in his mind.

He would have been pleased to hire his sampan men
for a while longer, in order to recruit a sufficient crew to
take the brig up the coast ; but their knowledge of Eng-
lish was quite as limited as his of Chinese, consequently
it was impossible to make any proposition which could be
understood.

Ben did not go through the formality of hailing the
brig; but clambered on board by the fore-shrouds, and
instantly he had gained a footing on the vessel, the boat-
men put off on their return, as if a delay of even a moment
might work great injury in their business.

“I shouldn’t be surprised if I’d taken a bigger con-
tract than I counted on,” Ben said to himself, as he sur,
veyed the deck while standing on the rail. “Those sail.
ors were not satisfied with abandoning the craft, but it