row in answer to
your proposition. Don't you think so, Evelin?"

"I think so," answered Lance.

"Very well, then," said the skipper. "Let the matter rest until to-
morrow, and we will then tell you our decision. In the meantime it must
be understood that none of you say a word to anyone else upon the
subject until you have our permission."

A promise to this effect was readily given by each of the men, and then
the matter dropped, the boat shortly afterwards reaching the landing-
place at the bottom of the bay.

The armourer was at once taken out of the boat and carried by Lance's
directions up to the building in which he slept. The miserable man was
by this time in a dreadfully exhausted condition; but on the arrival of
the medicine-chest Lance mixed him a powerful stimulating draught, under
the influence of which he revived so much that Evelin felt himself
justified in attempting the operation of amputation. This, with Captain
Staunton's assistance, was speedily and successfully performed; after
which the patient was placed in his hammock, and Lance sat himself down
near at hand, announcing his intention of watching by the poor fellow
until next morning.

The operation successfully performed, Dickinson and his three companions
returned to the shipyard, maintaining an animated and anxious
consultation on the way. The result of this consultation was that when
the four men resumed work they had a great deal to say--after answering
numberless anxious inquiries as to the state of the wounded man--upon
the subject of Ralli's treatment of Lance and his threat to flog him.
They denounced this conduct as not only unjust but also impolitic to the
last degree, dwelling strongly upon the unadvisability of offending a
man so skilled as Lance in medicine and surgery, and impressing their
audience with the necessity for discouraging--and, if necessary,
interfering to prevent--the carrying out of the threat.

And as sailors are very much like sheep--where one jumps the rest jump
also--they had not much difficulty in arranging for a general
demonstration of popular disapproval in the event of Ralli's attempting
the threatened indignity. Fortunately for himself--fortunately also in
all probability for those in whom we are chiefly interested--he allowed
the affair to pass over; in going about among the workers that day he
overheard enough to feel assured that, for the moment at all events, he
was an unpopular man, and as a