to the oars as Asoki cast off the painter. And Martin's mood was
exultant as he watched. Carew was coming! Now he was going to square
accounts with the renegade beast! Now he was going to wipe the smirk
from those cruel lips! That sneering mouth would never again babble
the brute's unclean love into _her_ unwilling ears, by heaven, no!

It was a gasp from Ichi, and a stuttering exclamation from Little
Billy, that brought his mind--and eyes--to the ship again. Something
was happening amid the group of eaters. One of them was rolling on the
deck, another was staggering about, consternation reigned over the
rest, and their cries of surprise and fear were audible in the cave.
Asoki was running toward the scene.

"The hatch! Yip!" cried Little Billy.

A blood-curdling whoop rode the air. Yip's whoop. The Chinaman was
dancing on the deck, away forward by the foc'sle scuttle, brandishing
something over his head. More than that, Martin saw--the fore hatch
was open. Other figures appeared by Yip's side. The gigantic figure
of the bosun appeared around the forward corner of the house, and he
was rushing aft.

He--and his followers--almost reached the after end of the house before
the rattled Japs spied them. Then was pandemonium. One of the armed
Japs shot point blank at the bosun. He missed the mark at which he
aimed, though a man behind the bosun fell; but the bosun, before his
enemy could fire again, leaned over and scooped into his arms the
figure that had been writhing on the deck, and, half straightening,
hurled it at the man with the gun. The body hurtled true to its
mark--both target and missile went scooting across the deck, to fetch
up motionless in the scuppers. Then the bosun had the rifle and was
swinging it, clubbed, the center of a melee.

Carew's voice, roaring at Asoki, brought Martin's gaze down to the
small boat. It had made some hundred yards towards shore when the shot
was fired at the bosun--the first inkling Carew had, it seemed, that
his conquest of the ship was in jeopardy. He was standing up in the
boat, trying to get a glimpse of the deck of the ship, and calling to
know what was wrong. The man at the oars was backing water, holding
the boat motionless; but as the sounds of general conflict came to the
captain's ears, he evidently gave the sailor instructions, for the boat
began to swing back to the brig.

But Carew was not destined to set foot again on stolen decks. A new