178 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

Ben said to Miss Dunham when she related the conversa-
tions ; but even while treating the matter as of no very
great importance, he was decidedly more anxious than he
would have been willing she should know.

On the roth of January the trade-winds were strong,
with St. Helena bearing N. E. by N. 42 miles distant,
when the brig was hauled around for the island.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon when the course
was changed, and there could be no question but that the
mutinous members of the crew were perfectly satisfied in
the belief that they were soon to come to an anchor.

«Those yellow scoundrels have got something in their
heads which causes them to want to go ashore,” Mr. Bean
said, as he and the young captain were pacing the quarter-
deck with their “weather eyes lifting,” for the wind was
increasing, and the clouds beginning to look decidedly
“nasty.”

“The only purpose for which they’d want to put into
St. Helena would be to desert, and I cannot make out
how that could help them any,” Ben said, half to himself.
“Tt would be a case of losing the wages due, and the
island isn’t such a desirable place that men are usually
willing to risk the punishment of deserting their ship for
the sake of getting ashore.”

«Well, there’s something of that kind in the wind,
without any question. I believe the Manilamen wasted
the water, and the only reason for doing that would be
to force us to put into a port,’ Mr, Bean replied.

“Tt would be a good idea to have your wits about you,