to entirely comprehend. The Lieutenant,
however, was a man of action. With grip on his collar he jerked the
poor wretch to his feet, and held him there.

"Hand over those papers to Craig," he ordered shortly, "and be lively
about it. I have n't anything to do with that affair, and I don't
think you will have much more from now on. You are my prisoner, and
you are good for a ten spot at least. Stand up, you coward." He
forced him back against the rail, and glanced about the deck. The
boatswain was coming aft.

"Well, Sloan, how did you find things?"

"All serene, sir; the whole crew bottled up, and mighty little fight
left in them."

"The engine room?"

"The engineer was a bit ugly, sir, and had to be man-handled proper.
He 's lyin' in a coal bunker with a sore head, cussin' blue. But the
assistant is a young fellar, an' kin run the engines. I left him in
charge with a couple o' lads lookin' after him."

"Who has the wheel?"

"Somers, sir."

"All right; have steam kept up, and make the course south, southeast.
Send a couple of men here to get this boat on deck. Put all the
fire-room fellows who won't work into the forecastle with the others.
Here, take this man along also. He 's the Captain, but no better than
the rest."

Henley started back, with some crazy hope of resistance, but the great
fist of the boatswain gripped his collar.

"Come on, you," he said, jerking him savagely. "Yer bloody pirate;
make another crack, an' I 'll land yer one. Is he that Henley, sir?"
of the Lieutenant.

"Yes; ever hear of him?"

"Have I! Aye, many the time. He 's wanted in Galveston, sir, for
somethin' worse than runnin' arms--it was a knifin' job, sir."

"And not the last either, if what Craig says is true. Take the fellow
forward. Ah! there comes the _Saline_ now--just poking her nose out
from behind the ridge."

I looked as he pointed, clutching the recovered papers in my hands, and
forgetful of Henley. The sun had discovered an opening in the cloud
bank, and a long shaft of golden light played across the water,
gleaming with white caps. Into its radiance the revenue cutter was
gliding, outlined against the leafy shade of Cosmos Island, her flag
standing out like a board in the fresh breeze, her cutwater churning up
a mass of foam. She made a beautiful picture, one that fascinated me
for the moment, and caused me to forget my own immediate incidents. I
was brought back to a realization of the