it,
and make us all smart for it finely. Now, it's not likely you want to
join us; and I'm no less sure that Evil-Eye will take precious good
care not to let you go, for fear you should get his neck into the
noose. That's the only thing he's afraid of. And so it just bothers
me to make out what's to be the end of the business."

CHAPTER VI.

BEN HARDEN.

As the words fell one by one from Ben's lips, Eric realized more and
more clearly how critical was his situation. In his gladness at escape
from the present peril of the wreck, he had forgotten to take thought
for the future; but now he was brought face to face with a state of
affairs by which that future was filled with dark foreboding. Little
as he had seen of the men into whose midst he had been so strangely
thrown, it was enough to make very plain to him that they wanted no
witness of their doings.

So far they had been too much occupied with their own concerns to take
much notice of him; but once he became the object of their attention,
the question as to his disposal must be settled. The issue was more
than doubtful, to say the least.

An awful feeling of desolation and despair came upon him. He seemed
unable to utter a word, but looked up into Ben's bronzed face with an
expression in which pathetic appeal was so mingled with harrowing dread
as to touch this strange man.

He sprang to his feet, dashed his pipe out of his mouth, clenched his
huge fists, and shouted aloud, as though all the other wreckers were
there to hear,--

"They had better take care! I saved ye, and I'm going to stand by ye.
Whoever wants to do you harm'll have to reckon with Ben Harden first;
and come what may, I'll get you off this place with a whole skin,
somehow."

Eric was as much surprised at Ben's sudden display of strong feeling as
he had been alarmed by his ominous words. He gazed at him, with
wide-open mouth, until the wrecker, recovering his self-control by an
evident effort, threw himself down on the sand again, picked up his
pipe, carefully relit it, and vigorously resumed puffing forth clouds
of smoke.

It was some time before he spoke again. In a quiet, natural tone he
asked Eric,--

"Have you any notion, my lad, why I troubled myself about ye at all?"

Eric shook his head, and there was something inexpressibly winning in
his smile as he answered,--

"No, sir. Unless because you have too kind a heart to let Evil-Eye do
me any harm."

Ben smil