e showed great strength, combined with unusual activity, and one
glance was sufficient to mark him out as a man with whom few could
cope. His countenance, naturally ugly, had been the playground of the
strongest and coarsest passions that degrade humanity, and was rendered
still more hideous by the loss of his left eye, which had been gouged
out in a drunken _melee_, and by a frightful scar that ran clear from
temple to chin on the right side of his face. Through the remaining
eye all the vile nature of the man found expression, and its baleful
glare, when fixed full upon one, was simply appalling.

To it, perhaps more than to any other quality, Evil-Eye--for so his
comrades appropriately nicknamed him--owed his influence among them;
for he was, in some sort, regarded as a leader of the band of wreckers
to which both he and Ben belonged.

Evil-Eye held in his right hand a cutlass whose sheen was already
dimmed with suspicious stains.

"Well," he growled, pointing at Eric, who was staring at him
spell-bound with horror and dread, "that seems to be the last of them.
Let's finish him off. We want no tell-tales.--Out of the way, you
brute." And he lifted his cutlass as though to strike Prince first.

"Hold!" cried Ben, springing forward and grasping Evil-Eye's arm. "Let
the boy alone."

"Let him alone," roared Evil-Eye, with a horrible oath. "That I won't.
Let go of me, will you?" And wrenching himself free by a tremendous
effort, he swung the cutlass high over his head and rushed upon the
defenceless boy, who was too terror-stricken to move or cry out.

But quick as Evil-Eye's movements had been, there was another present
whose movements were quicker still. With a short, deep growl like a
distant roll of thunder, Prince launched himself full at the ruffian's
throat. His aim was unerring, and utterly unprepared for so sudden an
onset, the man rolled over upon the sand, the cutlass falling
harmlessly from his hand.

Content with having brought him to the ground, Prince did not pursue
his advantage further, but stood over the prostrate scoundrel, who made
no attempt to move, while he implored Ben to drag the dog off him. But
this Ben seemed in no hurry to do. He evidently enjoyed his
associate's sudden defeat, and felt little sympathy for him in his
present predicament. Then as he looked from the growling mastiff to
his young master, who had almost forgotten his own fear in his
admiration for his faithful