the helm.

"Now then," shouted the fellow, "stand by. Look lively there with them
sails."

Obeying a light touch of the helm, the schooner's bow-sprit slowly swung
round from the land, and the crew, hauling lustily on the ropes, began
to hoist the sails.

"What the devil are you up to?" thundered the skipper. "Have you all
gone mad? What does it all mean?"

"It means," said one of the seamen, whose fat, amiable face was marred
by a fearful scowl, "that we've got a new skipper."

"Good heavens, a mutiny!" exclaimed the skipper, starting
melodramatically against the cage, and starting hastily away again.
"Where's the mate?"

"He's with us," said another seaman, brandishing his sheath knife, and
scowling fearfully. "He's our new captain."

In confirmation of this the mate now appeared from below with an axe in
his hand, and, approaching his captain, roughly ordered him below.

"I'll defend this lady with my life," cried Hezekiah, taking the
handspike from Kate, and raising it above his head.

"Nobody'll hurt a hair of her beautiful head," said the mate, with a
tender smile.

"Then I yield," said the skipper, drawing himself up, and delivering the
handspike with the air of a defeated admiral tendering his sword.

"Good," said the mate briefly, as one of the men took it.

"What!" demanded Miss Rumbolt excitedly, "aren't you going to fight
them? Here, give me the handspike."

Before the mate could interfere, the sailor, with thoughtless obedience,
handed it over, and Miss Rumbolt at once tried to knock him over the
head. Being thwarted in this design by the man taking flight, she lost
her temper entirely, and bore down like a hurricane on the remaining
members of the crew who were just approaching.

They scattered at once, and ran up the rigging like cats, and for a few
moments the girl held the deck; then the mate crept up behind her, and
with the air of a man whose job exactly suited him, clasped her tightly
round the waist, while one of the seamen disarmed her.

"You must both go below till we've settled what to do with you," said
the mate, reluctantly releasing her.

With a wistful glance at the handspike, the girl walked to the cabin,
followed slowly by the skipper.

"This is a bad business," said the latter, shaking his head solemnly, as
the indignant Miss Rumbolt seated herself.

"Don't talk to me, you coward!" said the girl energetically.

The skipper started.

"_I_ made three of 'em run," sa