jacket seized by two strong
hands, and I was drawn close in to the stern of the ship, and held there
fast.

Then from overhead came in Jarette's voice--

"A lantern here, quick!"

Directly after, as I still held on to the line, and felt some one's hot
breath against my cheek, there was a glow of light overhead, and Jarette
cried--

"Here, cut this line."

Then the rope jarred heavily and was jerked. The next instant it gave
way, and the strain I had maintained upon it was gone. I felt myself
drop, but it was only an inch or two, for I was held tightly and drawn
right into the cabin, where I crouched, listening to the altercation
above my head, every word coming plainly to my ears and those of Mr
Frewen, for of course it was he who had seized me.

Jarette was raging furiously at some one, whom he was accusing of
helping the prisoners to escape.

Bob Hampton was the some one, for we heard him defending himself loudly.

"How could I help 'em to get out when I haven't left the wheel?"

"But there was a rope hanging down from the spanker-boom."

"I don't care if all the ropes in the ship hung down. I arn't moved.
Ask them."

"No, he hasn't left the wheel," said a voice.

"How do you know? How could you see?" cried Jarette.

"Hadn't he got the binnacle-light on his phiz all the time, captain?"

"Then who did help them? Some one fastened that line. Look, there it
is."

A lantern was held out over the stern, and there was a murmur of voices.

"That line doesn't belong there, and wasn't there yesterday," cried
Jarette. "There's a traitor somewhere."

"All right, cap'n, find him then," said Bob Hampton, surlily.

"If it was you!" snarled Jarette.

"Look here, don't you shove that pistol in my face," cried Bob Hampton,
angrily, "or I shall out with my knife and have a fight for it. What
yer talking about? If I'd left the wheel, wouldn't the ship have yawed,
and you come to see what was the matter?"

That sounded so convincing that Jarette was silent, while Bob Hampton
continued--

"And if I'd wanted to help 'em to get on deck, do you think I should ha'
been such a fool as to tie a bit o' signal halyard to the spanker-boom,
when I could ha' made a bit o' strong rope fast to the belaying-pins,
and hung it over the stern?"

Jarette growled out something we could not hear.

"Then it must have been one of them two," said Bob Hampton; "or they
chucked it up from the cabin-window."

"It was not on