u, but you must mind he
don't cut it if I do."

"You leave that to me," cried the captain. "I'll see to that. There,
take that thin coil there, hanging on a belaying-pin."

The tall thin fellow walked straight to the coil of thin rope, shook it
out, and made a running noose at the end, and then, with an activity
that surprised me, who began to feel jealous that this thin weak-looking
fellow should have proved himself more clever and thoughtful than I was,
he sprang into the shrouds, the Malay hardly noticing, evidently
believing that the boy was going aloft to be safe. He looked up at him
once, as Jack Penny settled himself at the masthead, but turned his
attention fiercely towards us as the captain arranged his men as if for
a rush, forming them into a semicircle.

"When I say ready," cried the captain, "all at him together."

The Malay heard all this, and his eyes flashed and his teeth glistened
as he threw himself into an attitude ready to receive his foes, his body
bent forward, his right and left arms close to his sides, and his whole
frame well balanced on his legs.

"Ready?" cried the captain.

"All ready!" was the reply; and I was so intent upon the fierce lithe
savage that I forgot all about Jack Penny till I heard the men answer.

There was the whizzing noise of a rope thrown swiftly, and in an instant
a ring had passed over the Malay's body, which was snatched tight,
pinioning his arms to his side, and Jack Penny came down with a rush on
the other side of the fore-yard, drawing the savage a few feet from the
deck, where he swung helplessly, and before he could recover himself he
had been seized, disarmed, and was lying bound upon the deck.

"I didn't mean to come down so fast as that," drawled Jack, rubbing his
back. "I've hurt myself a bit."

"Then we'll rub you," cried the captain joyously. "By George, my boy,
you're a regular two yards of trump."

The excitement of the encounter with the Malay being over, there was
time to see to poor Jimmy, who was found to be suffering from a very
severe cut on the head, one of so serious a nature that for some time
the poor fellow lay insensible; but the effect of bathing and bandaging
his wound was to make him open his eyes at last, and stare round for
some moments before he seemed to understand where he was. Then
recollection came back, and he grinned at me and the doctor.

The next moment a grim look of rage came over his countenance, and
springing