Bring it up
here and tie these fellows' hands behind their backs."

While Benson searched the pockets of the trio--finding no weapons,
however--a man had secured a ball of spun yarn from the booby hatch and
ran up the poop steps with it. Then, under the influence of those long,
blue tubes, the Captain and the two mates lay down on their faces,
while the sailor securely bound their wrists behind them.

"Now, then," said Quincy, "you're in command, Rogers. We'll police this
boat, and make these men obey all your orders."

"Take the wheel here!" said Rogers to the sailor. "Stand by to wear
ship!" Then he mounted the cabin, and emitted a sailorly yell to the
crew. "All hands down from aloft! Weather main and lee crowjack
braces!"

* * * * *

In the dawn of the following morning some early rising fishermen of the
Jersey coast saw a black ship with all canvas set resting quietly on
the sands about two hundred yards from the beach, a white boat, empty
of everything but oars, hauled out above high-water mark, and on
boarding the ship they found and released three chilled, hungry, and
angry men from the lazaret. But not a sign of her crew did they see.

SHOVELS AND BRICKS

Mr. John Murphy, boarding master, was on bad terms with himself. He had
been kicked off the poop-deck of Captain Williams's big ship, the
_Albatross_, lying off Tompkinsville, waiting to dock, thence to the
gangway, and from there shoved, struck in the face, and further kicked
and maltreated until he had flopped into the boat at the foot of the
steps. Williams was a six-footer, a graduate "bucko" now in charge of
this big skysail-yarder, and he had resented Murphy's appearance on
board with whisky and kind words for his men before he was through with
them. Not caring to dock his ship with the help of riggers at five
dollars a day, he had called Murphy aft, lectured him on the ethics and
proprieties of seafaring, and then had punished him for an indiscreet
reference to the rights of boarding masters who must needs solicit
boarders in order to make a living. All that Murphy could do under the
circumstances was to shout up from the boat his defiance of Captain
Williams, and a threat to prevent his getting a new crew when ready to
sail--which was clearly within his power as a member of the Association
of Boarding and Shipping Masters. But Williams, red-bearded,
angry-faced, and victorious, replied with inju