190 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

The young captain turned quickly to face the latter, as
he shouted :

« Hold on there until I know who you are!”

The man stopped, raised both hands in token of sub-
mission, and Ben was in the act of moving forward in
order to peer into his face, when it was as if he heard
the sound of a heavy crash. Bright lights danced before
his eyes, and all was silence.

The fellow on the port side had dealt the captain a
crashing blow with the handspike, and, fortunately, the
force had been so great as to send him headlong into the
cabin.

Miss Dunham had just started toward her room to find
bandages, in the hope of stanching the blood which was
pouring from Bean’s side, when Ben fell.

She understood instantly what had occurred, and, with-
out waiting to ascertain the extent of the young captain’s
injuries, darted up the companionway, pulling the doors
inward just as a gleaming knife flashed past her head,
burying itself in the combing of the hatchway beneath.

She took no heed of the danger to which she had. been
exposed, but said to herself triumphantly as she made
certain the fastenings were secure :

“They can’t get in by this way without considerable
work,” and then she turned her attention to the uncon-
scious commander of the brig.

There was no show of blood, and Mr. Bean’s danger
was greater than the captain’s, therefore, leaving Ben as
he had fallen, she kept on to her room for the bandages,