sure. Then she would see their true inwardness, and his
feelings would be spared, as he could not deny that the majority of
them had been written by ladies.

On his way, he looked into the wheel-house. There was no light in the
interior. Boyle, wrapped in a heavy coat, was seated in the most
sheltered corner.

"All quiet?" asked the captain, in his brisk way.

"Nothin' doin', sir," answered Boyle.

"I expect you are both feeling pretty tired. Tollemache and I propose
to relieve you at six bells."

"But why?" demanded Christobal. "It is you who have passed an exciting
day. I am ready to mount guard until dawn. Tollemache can join me now
if he likes, as Mr. Boyle ought to be in bed."

"I'm all right," said Boyle, gruffly. "I am only sitting here because
my back is stiff."

Courtenay glanced at the somber shadow of Point _Kansas_, silhouetted
against the deep blue of the seaward arc.

"Suarez has retired to roost," he said. "He seems to be quite assured
that the Indians will never deliver a night attack."

"To-day's hammering should teach them to leave the _Kansas_ alone in
future," said Christobal.

"I hope so, but Suarez and Tollemache agree that they are most
persistent wretches. Now, Boyle, you must obey the doctor. I am going
back to the saloon to give Miss Maxwell some documents I wish her to
see. Then, Tollemache and I will relieve the pair of you. All right,
Christobal; I promise to take my share of the blankets in the morning.
I shall be ready for a nap at four o'clock. At present I feel
particularly wide-awake."

He went to the cabin. They heard him unlock the door and enter. At
that instant a startling hail came from two sailors stationed on the
poop.

"Indianos!" they yelled.

The three men were on the spar deck a second later, straining their
eyes into the black vagueness of the water.

"Indianos!" shouted two other sailors on the forecastle, and from the
spar deck it seemed to be possible to distinguish several black objects
moving towards the ship.

"The siren, Boyle," cried Courtenay, striking a match. At once the
swelling note of the fog-horn smote the air and thundered away in
tremendous sound waves. Soon a hissing, fiery serpent ran up the port
wall of the chart-house, and a fine star rocket soared into the sky.
It illuminated a wide area of the bay, and revealed a number of crowded
canoes darting in on the ship from all sides. Courtenay grasped the
lines connected