itated. Instantly the enraged skipper leaped up and struck him
a blow on the chest which knocked him down. At the same moment,
observing that Gunter looked on with a leer of drunken amusement, he
transferred his wrath to him, flung the remains of the spirits he had
been drinking in the man's face, and made a rush at him. Fortunately
Gunter, who had risen, staggered and fell, so that the skipper missed
his aim and tumbled over him. In a moment Gunter had regained his feet
and prepared for combat, but his adversary's head had struck on the side
of the vessel, and he lay stunned and helpless on the deck.

Luke, who had recovered almost immediately, now assisted Gunter and
Billy to raise the prostrate man. It was not an easy matter to handle
one whose frame was so heavy, but with the assistance of the owner of
the Coper they managed it.

"It's only a slight cut," said Billy, looking anxiously round at Trevor.

"Ay, lad, it ain't the cut or the blow as keeps him down, but the grog.
Come, we must git him aboard sharp. Haul up the boat Gunter, while I
stop the leak in his skull."

With a kerchief, Luke soon bound up the slight wound that the wretched
man had received, and then they tried to rouse him, but the effort was
in vain. David did indeed recover sufficient intelligence to be able to
bellow once or twice for more grog, but he could not be brought to the
condition of helping himself in any way.

"What'll we do, Luke?" asked Billy, in a tone and with a look of deep
distress, as the huge form of his father lay, a scarcely animate mass,
on the deck at his feet. "We _must_ get him aboard somehow."

"Never fear, Billy, my boy," said Luke, cheerfully, "we'll get him
aboard somehow. It's not the first time I've had to do it. Come along,
Gunter, lend a hand."

"Not I!" said Gunter, with a drunken swagger. "_I'm_ not goin' for an
hour or more."

"Oh yes, you are," returned Luke, dipping one of the Coper's buckets
over the side and pulling it up full of water.

"No, I ain't. Who'll make me?"

"I will," said Luke, and he sent the contents of the bucket straight
into his comrade's face.

"Hooray!" shouted Billy, convulsed at once with delight and surprise at
the suddenness of the act to say nothing of its violence. "Give it 'im,
Luke--polish 'im off!"

Luke did not however, take the pugnacious boy's advice; instead of
awaiting the attack of the enraged Gunter, he ran laughing round the
capstan and defied