hat I had perforce to tap his shoulder
to come on deck. He came round with a start, and staggered back
a few paces to stare at me. It needed no expert eye to tell
that the man was still drunk.

"Hullo!" said he, stupidly; and then with a light coming into his eyes,
"Why, it's Mister--Mister?"

"Prendick," said I.

"Prendick be damned!" said he. "Shut-up,--that's your name.
Mister Shut-up."

It was no good answering the brute; but I certainly did not expect
his next move. He held out his hand to the gangway by which Montgomery
stood talking to a massive grey-haired man in dirty-blue flannels,
who had apparently just come aboard.

"That way, Mister Blasted Shut-up! that way!" roared the captain.

Montgomery and his companion turned as he spoke.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"That way, Mister Blasted Shut-up,--that's what I mean!
Overboard, Mister Shut-up,--and sharp! We're cleaning the ship
out,--cleaning the whole blessed ship out; and overboard you go!"

I stared at him dumfounded. Then it occurred to me that it was
exactly the thing I wanted. The lost prospect of a journey as sole
passenger with this quarrelsome sot was not one to mourn over.
I turned towards Montgomery.

"Can't have you," said Montgomery's companion, concisely.

"You can't have me!" said I, aghast. He had the squarest and most
resolute face I ever set eyes upon.

"Look here," I began, turning to the captain.

"Overboard!" said the captain. "This ship aint for beasts
and cannibals and worse than beasts, any more. Overboard you go,
Mister Shut-up. If they can't have you, you goes overboard.
But, anyhow, you go--with your friends. I've done with this blessed
island for evermore, amen! I've had enough of it."

"But, Montgomery," I appealed.

He distorted his lower lip, and nodded his head hopelessly at
the grey-haired man beside him, to indicate his powerlessness to help me.

"I'll see to _you_, presently," said the captain.

Then began a curious three-cornered altercation.
Alternately I appealed to one and another of the three men,--first
to the grey-haired man to let me land, and then to the drunken
captain to keep me aboard. I even bawled entreaties to the sailors.
Montgomery said never a word, only shook his head.
"You're going overboard, I tell you," was the captain's refrain.
"Law be damned! I'm king here." At last I must confess
my voice suddenly broke in the middle of a vigorous threat.
I felt a gust of hyst