fifteen----"

"Sixteen there would be, mister, if you hadn't booted my best man and
broke his ribs when he was sitting down peaceable and filling my pipe."

Barry put the curb upon his rising temper, and ignoring Warner's remark
was again addressing himself to the captain, when the Greek again
interfered.

"By Goda! what Mr. Warn' say quita true. I agree wis him; I say that
if any dam kanaka interfera with your business the besta thing to do is
to puta the bullet into him."

"Then you had better keep that to yourself," said Barry pointedly; "if
these kanaka sailors of ours heard you say that, they would turn rusty
on us, and cause a lot of trouble."

"Quite true, Mr. Barry," said Rawlings suavely; "but Paul doesn't mean
altogether what he says."

The Greek was about to make an angry protest when he met a glance from
the captain's eye--vicious, angry, and warning.

But Barry was making his points, and was keenly observant. "I may as
well tell you all," he said with apparent bluntness, looking at each of
the four in turn, "that if I am to have these men turned over to me,
when we begin diving, that I won't have any interference. If you,
bos'un, and you, Barradas, begin to knock them about when I'm boss of
them--as you have done hitherto--they'll bolt, every man jack of them.
And besides that _I_ won't have it."

"I'll see that you have no interference, Mr. Barry," said Rawlings
quickly; "and I'm sure that Mr. Barradas and Paul will bear in mind
what you say."

"I won't meddle with the men under your charge, Mr. Barry," said
Barradas. "I know my duty, and don't want to be told about it." He
spoke sullenly, but more at the captain than to Barry.

"Of coursa nota," broke in the Greek with an amiable smile--"of coursa
we will nota meddle with the men; we are alla gooda comrade, thanka the
gooda Goda."

For a moment or two a wild desire to seize the treacherous scoundrel by
the throat possessed Barry, but fearful of betraying himself he rose
and went on deck.

In the afternoon the brig was brought in close under the islet, sails
unbent, and some of the deserted houses occupied by the native divers.
At Barry's request Joe was appointed overseer, and was to live on shore
with them. The islet itself was not more than two miles in length, and
was connected with the next one by a reef which was dry at low water;
and in fact the whole chain of the thirteen islands were joined to each
other except where the dee