246 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

“J wish you would.”

Ben would have gone much farther than the forecastle
to have gratified any desire of his sweetheart’s, and started
at once.

Bart was just finishing the basin of soup brought by old
Eliphalet, when the captain descended the ladder into the
dingy place occupied by the crew.

“ How are you feeling now?” Ben asked.

“Better than I’ve got any right to, an’ a good deal
better than I should if I’d mutinied against some other
captains I know of.”

“TI don’t want you to get in the way of thinking
I am a safe man to play any such games with, for
you haven’t got to the end of the thing yet,” Ben said,
gravely.

“TJ understand all that, sir, an’ you’ve treated me like
a white man by tyin’ up my leg, for that’s more’n I’d
have got in a good many ships.”

“ Look here, my lad, if you think you ’’ve got any cause
for gratitude, I want you to show it now by giving me the
full details of this mutiny.”

“T’m willin’ to tell you everything I know, sir,” was
the prompt reply.

“Very well, begin by explaining what the coolies idea
was of getting the brig into St. Helena?”

“They allowed that if she had put in there for water,
it would be a job that would last a couple of days, and the
first night after comin’ to an anchor them in the cabin was
to be overpowered an’ robbed. Then it was a case of