past!" I panted. "I must go to my lady! I am Dr.
Robinson! I must see her--at once!"

"What's this?" demanded an insolent young voice, and the midshipman who
had impressed me swung around beside the marine. I recognized him on the
instant.

"You!" I cried.

"The dunce!" he rejoined. "Back before the mast, you damned Yankee!"

"You!" I repeated. "Get out of my way. I'm going to my lady!"

"Your lady!" he sneered, and he added a term which stung me to madness.
As he spoke, he struck me a heavy blow with his fist upon my jaw.
Catching him by the wrist, I jerked him forward and struck him a blow
between the eyes that would have felled him had I not held to his wrist.
The marine cried out, and sprang around for an opening to lunge at me
without striking his officer. I caught the staggering young scoundrel
by the shoulders and hurled him against the man. Both rolled to the
deck.

At the same moment some one sprang upon me from behind and bore me down.
As I fell, others flung themselves upon my legs. My arms were wrenched
around behind my back and lashed together, my ankles bound fast, despite
my desperate struggles. Then a stern voice gave the order for me to be
taken below and placed in irons. I sought to cry out an appeal--to
attempt an explanation. But one of the men thrust a balled kerchief into
my mouth and tied in the gag with another kerchief which covered my eyes
as well. Dumb, blind, and bound, I was carried below, still struggling.

The moment they had replaced my bonds with handcuffs and bilboes and
relieved me of the gag, down in the foul, cell-like prison, I so
implored and raved to see the captain that they thought I was beside
myself,--as, indeed, it may well be said I was. Instead of the captain,
they sent for Dr. Cuthbert, who was a perfect stranger to my restored
memory. He listened to my now incoherent statements that I was Dr. John
Robinson and must go to my lady, and sought to soothe me. My constant
repetitions convinced him that I was quite out of my head, and to quiet
me, he cunningly administered an opiate in wine and water.

Discipline is swift-handed aboard a man-of-war. Before I had fully slept
off the effects of the drug, I was roused and taken before the
court-martial convened to try me. The judge-advocate was the officer of
my watch, though at the time I had no memory of him. For the first time
I saw the captain near at hand. He was a granite-faced Cornishman, and
looked upon me with a c