AN UNWILLING CREW. 77

this was a sort of grace before meat, he made a vigourous
onslaught upon the scanty store of food, after seeing that
Miss Dunham was served. ,

It was destined that even this poor supper should not
be concluded without interruption.

Before Ben had appeased his hunger an unusual number
of men could be seen gathering in the vicinity of the
sampans, and the young captain rightly conjectured the
time had come for the inhabitants of the island to make .
their descent upon the brig.

“Keep your eye on those fellows ashore, and tell me
everything they do!” Ben cried, as he ran hastily forward
to where the prisoners were, unloosing the one whom he
believed could speak English, and another, leaving the
third still tied to the rigging. ‘Here, Eliphalet, get
forward with me to the capstan!” he shouted to the old
darkey, the blackness of whose face was rapidly changing
to an ashen hue. ‘I reckon time is short with us now.”

With his revolver held ready for instant use, and dis-
playing it ostentatiously to the prisoners, he motioned
g, at the same time:

“Get on to that capstan the best you know how, or
you won’t be likely to see your brother scoundrels again
in this world!”

them forward, sayin

There was every reason why the men should understand
what he meant by his gestures, knowing as they did in
what desperate straits the few defenders of the brig
would soon be placed in case the attack was made, and
they obeyed with apparent willingness, the pawls clicking