172 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

for a pretext, and kept them between decks, when Eliph-
alet first told me what he had seen. The mischief is
done now, however, and I may as well tell Bean myself, —
for he will be sure to hear it from the men.”

There was another pause in the conversation as they
drew near the helmsman once more, and then Miss
Dunham replied :

“Don’t you think it would be better, since we are
certain the fact is known to some of them, that the men
themselves learn it from you?”

«Would you have me go into the forecastle and make
an explanation to my crew?” Ben asked, quite sharply.

“No, indeed, there’s no necessity of that; but if you
should put them on short allowance, as must soon be done,
no further explanations would be reqtired.”

“That is what I ought to have done yesterday. It
seems as if I was no longer capable of deciding upon the
proper course of action; but then, you are to blame for
that change in me.”

“How?” the young girl asked, curiously, looking up
into his face quickly, and he answered, with a glance
which caused her eyes to droop and her cheeks to flush
ever so little:

«“ Because you have been such an efficient and charming
chief mate that I have learned to depend upon you very
much.”

Before she could make any reply to this remark, which
certainly savoured of flattery, Mr. Bean came on deck, and
Ben beckoned for him to approach.