CHAPTER XIX.
SIGNALING.

EFORE partaking of the morning meal Ben looked
in upon the wounded mate, and found him decidedly
more comfortable than might have been expected.

“T am getting along first-class,’ Mr. Bean said, ‘and
even surprise myself. I never supposed a man could
receive such a slashing as I got without mortal injury,
yet it must be that the coolie’s creese failed to do more
than inflict a flesh wound.”

“T think we can safely say you are on the fair road to
recovery,” Ben added, cheerily, for the knowledge that
Mr. Bean was in such a wonderfully good bodily condition
caused the difficulties of the situation to seem much less
than on the night previous.

Then the young captain told of the method by which
the supply of water had been replenished, and proposed
he exercise what little surgical skill he possessed in sewing
up the wound, but to this proposition the mate objected.

«There’s no question but that it’s healing, and I count
on being moved in three or four days at the longest.”

«Want to get into the cabin, eh?” Ben said, laugh-
ingly.

“No, sir. My desire is to be on deck. If I can stay