66 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

vestigated at once. You must remember, captain, that
we have been lying here several days with no watch kept
at night. What an easy matter it would have been for
somé of these Chinese to come aboard after dark, and
secrete themselves, ready to join their friends when the
attack is made.”

«What a thick-headed idiot I’ve been, to be sure, not
to think of such a thing!’’ Ben exclaimed. “ Any one but
a blockhead like me would have searched every portion of
the brig before settling down to watch for enemies from
the shore. Will you stay here on guard, giving an alarm
at the slightest suspicious movement you see, while I go
below?”

“You don’t intend to venture there alone, captain?”
and the young girl laid one slender hand on Ben’s arm to
prevent him from leaving her so quickly.

« There is n’t the slightest danger, no matter how. many
may be there, for at the sight of a revolver every yellow
rascal will go down on his knees. The only fear they
may do a person an injury is when they can slip up in the
night and put a knife in his back.”

“Yet you believe they are brave enough to attack this
ship in the daytime,” Miss Dunham said, as she pointed
significantly toward the shore.

“They are made bold by the knowledge that there are
only three on board, while they can probably muster fifty
or a hundred. It is in the highest degree important that
we know whether there is any one below or not, therefore
we must not waste time. Keep your weather-eye lifting