188 THE BOV CAPTAIN.

the latter started swiftly toward his room, but before he
could gain the door was so enfeebled by the copious loss
of blood that he sank an inert mass upon the cabin floor.

By this time Ben had succeeded in fastening the doors
and hatch, and Miss Dunham, with a loose wrapper thrown
over her night-dress, came from her room, meeting the
young captain just as he approached the fallen man.

“Leave me to attend to him,” she said, “ while you arm
yourself! There may yet be time to regain possession of
the deck !”’

«Don’t attempt it,” Bean said quickly. “It must be
that all the men in my watch are concerned in the plot,
otherwise those villains would not have dared to make the
attack.”

«Where is Rogers?” Ben asked.

“Dead, I think, sir. He fell as if he had received a
blow in the heart. The Manilamen stabbed us both at
the same moment.”

At this instant shouts and screams could be heard from
the deck, and Ben, with a revolver in each hand, ran to
the after companionway, unfastening the doors as softly
as possible. ;

Then he made a sudden dash on deck.

There was no one at the wheel, and the brig was run-
ning fair before the wind with every inch of canvas draw-
ing, as if instinct taught her to keep true to the course
without a helmsman.

«This way, men!” Ben shouted at the full strength of
his lungs. “This way, all honest men!”