AN UNWILLING CREW. 79

raised to catch the light breeze which bellied it seaward
in a manner that delighted Ben, and told him the little
brig would soon be drawing as rapidly away from the land
as he had hoped.

«We'll belay there, uncle, until our friends come down.
Get over to the capstan once more; I think I’ll let the
third Chinaman loose.”

«Three of the sampans have put off already!” Miss
Dunham cried; “there must be at least fifty men on the
beach.”

“Tf they allow us ten minutes more I don’t care how
many come,” Ben shouted cheerily, and ran amidships to
unfasten the last prisoner, who was very careful to obey
the mute command to go forward, which was given with
the muzzle of the revolver.

It was necessarily slow work for those aloft, but they
were moving as rapidly as could have been expected, even
faster than the young captain had fancied would be the
case, and while they were at their work the anchor was
hove up half a dozen fathoms more, after which the three
hoisted the jib to,somewhere near the proper position.

By the time this last task was completed, those above
had finished all they could do, and were ordered on deck
again.

Then the five manned the mainsail halliards, and in a
very few moments after the huge square of canvas had
been loosened to the breeze the brig began moving
through the water, slowly to be sure, but yet with suffi-
cient speed to show the anxious ones it was only a ques-