120 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

craft swing suddenly around in front of the landing stage,
and her crew pull away with the utmost despatch, until
he recognised in them the same men whom he had hired
to carry him to Nampang Island.

“TJ reckon that settles the question as to whether they
knew anything about the attack which was to be made,’
Ben said, grimly. “They are idiots to think I could do
them any harm, for it would be impossible to prove the
story; but I’d like to have hold of that yellow fellow
long enough to choke into him some idea of honest deal-
ing. He’d never leave another white man to be murdered
by his villainous friends, Ill guarantee that.”

The owner of the sampan was fully determined not to
give him any such opportunity, and, by the time Ben
reached the Sportsman, the unpleasant incident of seeing
this disagreeably familiar face was nearly forgotten.

It can be well fancied what a warm reception he met
with both in the cabin and the forecastle of the ship.

From Mr. Short’s expressions of pleasure and satisfac-
tion at the young man’s promotion, one would have
fancied he was directly concerned in the matter, and Ben
rendered the old man’s joy more complete by saying :

“T have to thank you as much as any one else for this
thing, Mr. Short.”

«Nonsense, boy, nonsense!” What did I have to do
with it? I didn’t go down the coast an’ tackle a lot of
murderin’ heathen.”

“No; but you did a good bit toward helping me get
there, for I’d had precious little chance to talk with the