n and resourceful.
Chris, preening himself in a difficult effort to appear what he was
not, knew that if Claggett Chew had not already guessed his disguise,
he was certainly more than suspicious.

Hastily, and with increasing starts of fear that sent the blood
spurting through his veins, Chris cast about in his mind as to how he
could distract Claggett Chew. As a parakeet, he was chained by the
tough silk cord that bound his bird's foot. He glanced down.
Osterbridge Hawsey's now sleeping head lolled like a child's to one
side. Chris eyed the length of the coral silk cord, and then hopped
lightly from the back of the chair to Osterbridge Hawsey's shoulder. A
blink of his parakeet's eyes, from under their gray lids, showed him
that Claggett Chew had him fixed in a penetrating and unwavering
stare. In his role as parakeet, he moved sideways up Osterbridge
Hawsey's shoulder, making for the shelter that the lolling head would
afford to hide him from his enemy's eyes.

As he moved step by step, the parakeet made small low, raucous
noises--not loud enough to awaken Osterbridge Hawsey, but enough, he
hoped, to make him seem a natural creature to the man who watched him
so intently. As he neared Osterbridge Hawsey's neck, seeing the ridge
of collar on which he intended to perch, Chris took heart and with a
last quick effort, climbed the collar to hide behind Osterbridge
Hawsey's head, under the thick cluster of curls tied with what was now
a ratty black bow. He was, in this precarious shelter, about to change
himself into a fly, when a scraping noise froze him with fear. Looking
around Osterbridge's neck he saw that Captain Chew was making
desperate efforts to get out of his berth, and had not taken his eyes
from the place where he had last seen the parakeet. Chris knew in that
moment with what an astute and formidable enemy he was faced.
Paralyzed, he remained in his green and red parakeet feathers watching
the motions of the injured pirate.

Claggett Chew might be suspicious but he was also a fevered and badly
wounded man. From his insecure hiding place, terrified at every
sleeping movement from Osterbridge Hawsey, and even more fearful of
what Claggett Chew intended, Chris stared out as purposefully as
Claggett Chew had only a few moments before.

[Illustration]

The ashen-faced man across the room in the glare of the hanging lamp
heaved and pushed at the sides of the bunk, his eyes brilliant with
high fever; the sweat