SHORT-HANDED. 239

« But Eliphalet should be able to do that in addition to
his own work. If the others on board are to do double or
treble duty, he must be forced to perform his share.”

«JT am afraid it would be more work to force him than
to do the labour ourselves.”

“Then leave him to me; I'll see that he hasn’t any
spare time to trouble him.”

“Very well,’ Ben replied, laughingly, as he repeated
the caress. ‘ You shall have full charge of him, and if he
turns rusty on your hands let me know.”

«“There’s no danger of that,’ Miss Dunham replied,
stepping aside quickly, as Ben would have continued the
love-making. “Suppose you go in and talk with Mr.
Bean a few moments? I know hé is anxious to hear of
your plans in detail.”

Ben did as she suggested, and while he was below the
steward took it upon himself to perform an act of charity,
without being prompted.

Bob was standing near the galley, surveying the deck
fore and aft, as if going over again in his mind the clos-
ing scenes of the mutiny, when old Eliphalet put his woolly
head out of the door, looked carefully around to make cer-
tain there was no one save the sailor in the immediate
vicinity, and then went through a series of the most extra-
ordinary contortions.

“What’s come over that lump of blackness ?”’ Bob mut-
tered, gazing about, curiously, in the belief that the darkey
had seen something blood-curdling at the very least.

Eliphalet continued the singular gestures, and after a