roared.

Instinctively Bill drew back, while an exclamation of annoyance and
fear escaped his lips. In the twilight of evening he could see the
threatening lad above and the uplifted stick.

"Here, none of that, you fool," he cried. "What's your idea?"

"Come up an' I'll show ye. But I guess ye'll stay there all right.
Mebbe I'm not sich a fool as ye think. Ye know now who owns this boat,
don't ye?"

The men were in a trap, and knew it. They were very angry and
threatened and cursed in the most violent manner. But the more they
raved, the more satisfied Eben became. It was rare sport, and he was
enjoying it. But he was determined for all that, and if the men had
ventured up the stairway he certainly would have knocked them down.

The peals of thunder were now becoming louder and more frequent. The
intense calmness was ominous of the coming storm. Eben glanced
uneasily toward the west and then forward. He knew that the sail
should be down, but he did not dare to leave his post even for a
minute. The men were whispering to each other. What they said he
could not make out, but presently he heard the scratching of a match,
and a light flared up. They were searching for a lamp, which they soon
found and lighted. He knew that they could only escape from their
prison by means of the door, for his father had built the upper part of
the cabin exceptionally strong to keep out thieves when the boat was
lying at her wharf in the harbour.

A vivid flash of lightning rent the air, followed almost immediately by
a tremendous crash of thunder. From the cabin came a howl of fear, and
looking down Eben could see two frightened faces staring up at him.

"For God's sake, let us up out of this hole!" Donaster pleaded. "We'll
smother here."

"Jist stay where ye are," was the reply. "Ye got yerselves into this
fix, an' ye'll have to make the best of it."

"But the lightning might strike the boat," Donaster argued.

"It would serve you divils right if it did. But, heavens, the storm's
upon us!"

He slammed to the cabin door, and securely bolted it.

He next leaped across the deck-load and tore loose the halliard.
Instantly the sail came down with a rush, the gaff striking the boom
with a bang. Across the hills came the storm. It could be heard a
mile or more away, and in a few minutes the first drops of rain
pattered upon the deck. Eben struggled to gather together the sail as
it flopped in the first fitful