n the passage to the beach, where he blew a whistle
sharp and shrill, and the note had a strange ring as it echoed through
the canyon.

"That'll wake 'em on the ship," he explained. "I'm not afeard of these,
but there's fighting to be done--now lie behind me, and don't show till
you're wanted."

He advanced towards the snow-plain and sang out--

"John, you there, Dick--hands to quarters, do you hear me! Move right
quick, or I'll move you, by thunder!"

They put down their arms from their shoulders in blank amazement, and
listened to him as he went on--

"There's enough down for one night, I reckon, and I'm not going to be
kept awake by your cursed firing--what's to be done can be done in the
morning; why, you boat-load of night rats, ain't any of you got sleep
in you?"

They came round him slowly and sulkily, and he drove them to the big
houses with pleasant oaths and fine round phrases. I lurked near him,
but an American saw me and cried--

"Say, Cap'en, hev ye took to nursin' that boy ez ye seems so fond of?"

"Shut your jaw, or I'll shut it for you!" replied Black. "Is the boy
your affair?"

"He's the affair of all of us, I calcerlate, an' some of us wishes to
know particler if he's signed or no."

Black was smothered in anger, but he showed it only with that terrible
growling of the voice and his horrid calmness.

"Oh, you want to know, do you? Which of you, might I ask, is particler
anxious about my business?"

There were thirty or forty of them round, and they pressed the closer
at the question, as he continued--

"Let them as makes complaint step right here."

Only four joined the leader; but the captain suddenly snatched my
revolver from me, and fired four shots; and for each shot a man dropped
dead on the beach; but the American stood untouched. The appalling
brutality of the action seemed to awe the rest of the crew. They stood
motionless, dumb with their rage; but when they recovered themselves
they rushed upon us with wild ferocity; and the Yankee fired at Black
point-blank. I thought, truly, that the end was then; but I heard a
shout from the water, and, looking there, I saw Dr. Osbart in the
launch; and there was a Maxim gun in the bows of her.

"Clear that beach!" roared Black in awful passion; and instantly, as he
dropped flat and I imitated him, there was a hail of bullets, and the
main part of the crowd fell shrieking; but some threw themselves down,
while many stiffened and rolled