im, and would
have struck him in his blind wrath but for Bosun Jones, who had seen
everything, and now hastily interposed.

"No, no, my boy," he said. "Keep back, you are too wet to do any good.
Allow me, sir."

Don shrank back, realising the heinousness of the social sin he was
about to commit, and a dead silence fell on the group, the men staring
wonderingly as the captain accepted Bosun Jones' help, stepped into the
boat, and stood wringing himself.

"Why, the young dog was going to strike me!" cried the captain.

"Surely not, sir," said the boatswain hastily. "Only going to help you,
sir."

"Help me! I believe he was going to hit out. Here, sir, what made you
start away like that?"

"He thought it was a shark, sir," cried Jem. "One's been about the boat
all the aft'noon."

"Hold your tongue, sir!" cried the captain sternly. "Here, you boy,
what made you flinch!"

"Thought I felt the shark touch me, sir," said Don, sullenly.

"Oh, then I am to be thrown into the water because you are a cowardly
young idiot," cried the captain. "I'll talk to you to-morrow. In with
you, my lads, and give way."

"There's no boathook!" cried the coxswain; and on the keepers being
called to account, their story was received with such manifest doubt,
that Don writhed and sat sullenly in his place in the boat, as it was
rowed back to the sloop.

"Rather an absurd story that, Jones--about the boathook," said the
captain as he stepped on board. "Mind it is reported to-morrow morning.
I believe the young scoundrel was going to strike me."

"But you struck him first," said the boatswain to himself, as he saw the
captain descend. "Hot-headed young rascal. Ah! Here, Lavington, what
about that boathook? Let's have the simple truth. One of the Maoris
stole it, and you were afraid to speak?"

"I was not afraid to speak the truth, sir," said Don; "and I told it."

"But that's such a wild story. Your messmate could not have driven it
into a shark over the hook."

"I don't know whether it was driven in over the hook, sir," replied Don;
"but it stuck in the fish's back and would not come out."

The boatswain looked at him thoughtfully, while Don waited to hear his
words.

"Look here, Lavington," he said, "I liked you, my lad, from the first,
and I should be sorry for you to be in serious trouble. I have been
your friend, have I not?"

"I can't see much friendship in dragging one away from home," said Don,
coldly.