the fingers felt wet.

Dan stepped up under a port light that opened out to the deck, and,
holding up the fingers, peered at them.

"Blood, eh! Well, that's funny. Something must have hit me."

He glanced about him. He was almost alone; there were not a half dozen
sailors on deck, and these lay stretched out, sleeping soundly in the
cool evening air.

"That is strange," wondered the lad, trying to stanch the flow of blood
with his handkerchief. He had been about to turn back and rejoin Sam
when the incident occurred.

Dan paused to think over just what had happened.

"Oh, I remember, now. I heard something strike the deck. That must
have been after it hit me. I'll see if I can find out what it was."

Stepping carefully along over the deck, feeling with his toes, the boy
almost tripped over some object which he knew did not belong there.

With an exclamation Dan stooped over. His hand came in contact with a
piece of cold steel. The instant his fingers touched it he knew what
he had found.

"A marline spike," breathed Dan. "No wonder it hurt."

The missile that had hit him is used for twisting the strands of rope
apart. It is of steel, about eight inches long, and tapers to a needle
point. It makes a most dangerous weapon.

Dan carried this to the light, examining it carefully. Its point was
still moist where it had caught him.

"Somebody must have tried to kill me," he muttered. "An inch further,
and I certainly should have been a dead one. Who could have done such
a dastardly thing? I can't understand it at all."

The lad hurried back to where he had left his companion. Sam started
to speak, but he saw something in the face of Dan Davis that suddenly
checked his levity.

"Why, what's the matter?" he cried.

"Nothing, except that some one tried to kill me just now."

"Tried to kill you?"

"Yes; look here."

Dan removed the handkerchief, and Sam, with gentle fingers, made a
careful examination of the wound.

"Punched a hole right through the lobe of your ear. Who did that?" he
demanded in a low, tense voice.

"I wish I knew."

"How did they do it? It looks as if you had been shot."

"They did it with this, Sam," answered Dan, exhibiting the marline
spike.

Sam uttered a low growl, as he took the pointed spike, holding it in
his hand reflectively.

"You must have that dressed, right away. Come along. We'll go to see
Pills. There is time, if we hurry."

"Yes; I guess i