don't hurt
him, 'cause I love him!" pleaded the agonized child, with all the
earnestness of her nature.

The position of the prostrate captain attempting to rise, and the
little one interceding for him, was such that the mutineer hesitated
for the moment, for he could not strike without endangering her life.
Seeing this, with the wonderful quickness which sometimes comes over
the youngest child in such a crisis, Inez persistently forced her body
with amazing quickness in the way of the poised knife as it started to
descend more than once--the other two holding back for their leader to
finish the work.

Brazzier was a man of tigerish temper, and he became infuriated in a
few seconds at this repeated baffling of his purpose.

"Confound you!" he suddenly exclaimed, with a fierce execration. "If
you will keep in the way, then you must take it!"

The arm was drawn still further back, with the intention of carrying
out this dreadful threat, when the wrist was seized in the iron grip
of Black Pomp, who said:

"Hold on, dere! None ob dat! De man dat hurts a ha'r ob dat little
gal's head will got sot down on by me, an' mashed so flat dat he'll
neber rose ag'in. Does you hear me, sah?"

CHAPTER XV

THE FRIEND IN NEED

There was no excuse for not hearing this warning, for it was uttered
in a voice loud enough to reach over the whole extent of the atoll.

Both Redvignez and Brazzier were enraged at the interference, and
there was an instant of time when the two were on the point of
attacking him. But he was a terrible foe for any one to assail, and he
would have made warm work, as they well knew, for he was not afraid of
the two together.

Brazzier was quick to comprehend the situation, and he refrained.

"Take away the girl, then," he commanded, "so I can get at him."

"I will not leave him," declared Inez, throwing her arms about the
neck of the captain, who was rising to his feet. "You mean to hurt
him, and you shan't hurt him without hurting me. He has been kind, and
he's a good man."

"Take her away," commanded Brazzier, with difficulty repressing his
anger at the repeated delay.

"Oh, Pomp! You won't let him hurt the captain?" pleaded Inez, turning
toward him, and ready to throw her arms about his dusky neck, were it
not that she was afraid to leave the captain for the moment--he having
risen to his feet, while he held her hand and looked at his enemies,
panting from his own great exertion, though