for the Floridian appeared to have taken upon
himself the duty of counsel for the octoroon.

"I beg your pardon, captain," replied Cornwood with a deferential bow.

"I went to the ladder on the starboard side, and mounted to this deck.
As soon as I got up here, I saw Griffin lying flat on his face, with
his right ear at the opening under the sash of the skylight. I slipped
off my shoes, and crept as lightly as I could to the place where
Griffin lay. I had no idea of attacking him, and only intended to see
what he was doing there. As soon as I was satisfied that he was
listening to the conversation between you and Mr. Washburn, which I
could hear, though I could not tell what you said, I just touched him
on the shoulder. I meant to beckon him to come away from the skylight,
but he did not give me time to do that. He sprang to his feet, and we
all know he is a spry fellow, and pitched into me as though I had tried
to murder him."

"You lie!" yelled the octoroon, with a savage oath. "You did try to
murder me!"

Griffin leaped from his recumbent position, and, foaming with rage,
drew a bowie-knife from his pocket, the long blade of which he threw
open with a jerk of his hand. With the knife gleaming in the air, he
rushed upon Ben Bowman. He would surely have plunged the blade into his
intended victim, if Buck Lingley had not darted upon him as soon as he
saw the knife. The deckhand was the stoutest person on board, and he
bore the octoroon to the deck in an instant, and wrenched the knife
from his grasp.

"Hold on to him a moment, Buck!" I called to him. "Get some line, and
tie him hand and foot!"

Hop Tossford sprang to obey my order. He seized the end of a
heave-line, and while Buck drew the arms of the waiter behind him, he
secured them in this position with the assistance of the mate. This
line was only for temporary use; and Hop soon brought a handful of
pieces of whale-line from the store-room, and the prisoner was
carefully secured. The octoroon struggled to escape, but the mate and
Buck held him tight.

"Drop the starboard boat into the water," I continued. "Mr. Washburn,
you will deliver him to the police of the city."

CHAPTER XVII.

POOR GRIFF AND HIS COUNSEL.

"Surely, Captain Garningham, you cannot mean to hand the man over to
the police for getting into a common brawl," said Cornwood, when I had
given my order.

"We don't allow brawls on board this steamer. This is the first one
that e