heavily
against the ship's side, where the back of my head gave a sounding rap
close to the little circular window.

Of course it was a matter of a very few minutes. Boy human nature could
not stand a prolongation of such a fierce struggle, even if our muscles
were tense as so much elastic wood. And how that time passed I can
hardly tell. I was conscious of seeing sparks, and then of Walters'
eyes and gleaming teeth which were very hard to my knuckles. So was his
head, and the boards, and cabin-floor; but I fought on, and wrestled and
went down, and got up again, and the fighting was soon in perfect
silence as far as our lips were concerned, till after one desperate
round--the last--I struck out so fiercely with my left, adding to it the
whole weight of my body, that Walters fell back over the chest in one
corner, his head struck the bulk-head with a sounding bang, and he went
down in a sitting position, but in an instant sprang up again, grinding
his teeth.

The cabin was nearly dark now and my fists were up for the renewal of
the contest, for Walters seemed to be about to spring at me; but he drew
back, and as quickly as I could grasp what it meant, I heard almost
simultaneously the clicking of my pistol-lock, the report, and the crash
caused by the sudden wrenching open of the cabin-door.

"Hurt?" cried Mr Brymer, as I staggered back, conscious of a sharp
stinging pain at the side of my head; and as he spoke he sprang at
Walters, wrested the pistol from him, and threw him down.

"I--I don't know," I stammered as I put my hand to my ear. "Yes, I
think so," for my fingers were wet with blood.

"You cowardly, treacherous hound!" cried the mate, with his foot upon
Walters' breast.

"I--oh don't!--help!--I was only defending myself from Dale. I'm weak
and hurt, and--"

"A cowardly, malingering liar!" cried Mr Frewen, hotly. "He tried to
make me believe he was very bad, groaning and wincing, and thinking he
had deceived me, but I saw through him all the time."

"No, no, I am bad!" groaned Walters, piteously.

"He isn't," I said, with my anger against him mastering a sensation of
sickness. "He was shamming; I found him out, and we quarrelled and
fought, and as soon as he was beaten he caught up the pistol and fired
at me."

"It's all a lie!" shouted Walters, fiercely. "I was so weak and ill
that I--"

"Jumped up well as I was, and called Mr Frewen a brute and a beast as
soon as he was out of hearing