, "So bad as that, Andy lad? Wot then,
hath this fine, upstanding cock o' cocks thrashed all the hell-fire
spirit out o' ye, Andy lad? Love my innards--I thought no man aboard
could do as much, Andy."

"He jumped me from behind!" says the fellow Andy 'twixt snarl and groan
and writhing under my 'prisoning feet.

"And where," says the fat man, smiling at me, "where might you ha' come
from, my bird o' price? The bo'sun's mate Samuel Spraggons is me,
friend--Sam for short, called likewise Smiling Sam--come, come, never
scowl on Sam--nobody never quarrels with the Smiler, I'm friends wi'
everyone, I am, friend."

"Why then--loose the child!" says I.

"Child? Ha, is't this little rogueling ye mean, friend?" As he spoke
(and smiling yet) he caught the boy's ear and wrung it 'twixt vicious
thumb and finger, whereon I whirled the rope's-end, but he sprang out
of reach with wondrous agility and stood patting plump cheek and
smiling more kindly than ever, the while I cut the cords that bound the
boy's wrists, who, with an up-flung, wondering look at me, sped away
into the orlop and was gone.

"Now mark ye, Spraggons," says I, "harm the child again--any of ye--and
I'll beat your fat carcass to a jelly."

"No, no!" quoth he, "you can't quarrel wi' me, the Smiler don't never
quarrel wi' none. You'd never strike Smiling Sam, friend!"

"Stand still and see!" says I. But hereupon he retreated to the ladder
and I, feeling my sickness upon me again, contented me by throwing the
rope's-end at the fellow and stepping out backward, clapped to the
door. So with what speed I might I got me down into the hold and to my
dog-hole. And here I saw I had left my lanthorn burning, and found in
this light strange comfort. Now being mighty athirst I reached the
demijohn from the corner and drank deep, but the good water tasted ill
on my parched tongue; moreover the place seemed strangely close and
airless and I in great heat, wherefore I tore off my sleeved doublet
and, kicking off my shoes, cast myself upon my miserable bed. But now
as I lay blinking at the lanthorn I was seized of sudden, great dread,
though of what I knew not; and ever as my drowsiness increased so grew
my fear until (and all at once) I knew that the thing I dreaded was
Sleep, and fain would I have started up, but, even then, sleep seized
me, and strive how I would my eyes closed and I fell into deep and
fear-haunted slumber.

CHAPTER XVII

TELLETH HOW AN