d Brace excitedly, "give orders for the hatches to
be taken off at once."

"Just what I'm going to do, squire," said the captain. "Here, Dellow,
see to it. But I call you all to witness that I wash my hands of this
business. If the man's dead I'm going to sail back to port and hand
this man over to the authorities."

"We'll settle that afterwards, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey
stiffly.

"Right, sir; I'll lose no time," said the captain, and all present stood
looking on while, under the first mate's orders, the hatches were
opened, more lanthorns lit, and a couple of men sent below with a rope
running through a block.

"Make it fast, my lads, and be sharp," cried the mate, as he leaned over
the opening in the deck, swinging a lanthorn so that the sailors could
see to hitch the rope about the cask. "Ready?"

"One moment, sir," came from below. Then:

"Haul away."

"Keep him right side upwards, you sir," said the American coolly.

"Right side upwards, sir!" growled the captain fiercely. "You deserve
to be headed up in the cask yourself and thrown overboard."

As he spoke, the big cask appeared above the combings of the hatchway,
was swung clear of the opening, and lowered again, to come down with a
bump upon the deck.

"Here, quick," cried the captain. "Bring an axe and knock off those top
hoops."

"Nay, nay!" cried the American coolly.

"Don't interfere, sir," said Sir Humphrey; "it is to get the head out."

"I know," said the American; "but one of those borings is a round
keyhole. He'll open the head from inside if he's awake: and if he don't
I can."

"If he's awake!" said Brace bitterly.

"P'raps he isn't, for he's a oner to sleep. Stand aside, skipper."

The captain turned upon the man fiercely, but it had not the slightest
effect upon him, for he kept his cigar in his mouth and smoked away, as
he drew out a key like that used for the boot of a coach, thrust it into
one of the holes in the head, gave it a turn, and the head of the cask
opened outward in two pieces which turned upon hinges; while as the
first mate thrust forward the lanthorn he held, it was nearly knocked
out of his hand by the skull-cap-covered head which shot up, sending a
thrill of relief through the circle of lookers-on.

"Well, Dan, how goes it?" said the American.

The fresh arrival, who seemed to be a thin diminutive-looking fellow of
any age, whose perfectly smooth face looked peculiarly yellow, planted
his h