LN COMMAND. 97

she asked, after an unusually long pause, during which
Ben had been scanning her face, as if mentally deciding
how thoroughly helpless any consignee would be in her
presence.

« Never.”

« And do you count on being able to take the brig into
port without a pilot ?”

“T have n’t got so far as that in my thinking. I suppose,
as a matter of fact, I must take one aboard. You see I
only figured on getting possession of the craft, and running
up the coast. I didn’t spend much time on the details
after that should have been done.”” Then a sudden thought
occurred to him, and he added quickly, “Who knows but
that one of our crew is familiar with these waters?”

“Would you trust either of them if he should profess
to be?”

“JT would so long as I could stand over him with a
revolver. I reckon if he knew that a bullet in his head
would be the price of the brig’s touching bottom, we
should go through without any trouble.”

Then, without waiting to hear her opinion on the sub-
ject, Ben called to him the fellow who apparently best
understood what he said when the orders had previously
been given.

The man slouched aft in a hangdog fashion without
raising his eyes, and stood in front of the young captain,
waiting to be questioned.

“Now see here, my fine fellow, you understand Eng-
lish, don’t you?”