nscience. It is no fault of yours that that boy came down
from the rigging alive."

"I forbid any such talk," answered Redfox without meeting the gaze of
the helmsman. "The stupid youngster got dizzy when I let go of his
jacket and started to get a better hold of his belt."

"No, no, Mr. Redfox," answered Willy firmly, "you pushed me instead of
getting hold of my bolt. I did not get dizzy."

"Ridiculous! Your fear put that notion into your head. Now if you go
to telling that story round here--even once--I'll have the Captain shut
you up in the steerage with the Chinamen. You go to telling the wrongs
you suffer from your superior officer and you'll get yourself into
trouble. No more of this."

Redfox went to the Captain's cabin. Indignantly the helmsman looked
after him, and then he again asked the boy if he was very sure that
Redfox had pushed him.

"Quite sure," he replied, "and he looked at me more wickedly than I
thought any man could look. What has he against me? I have never done
him any harm. And my uncle, too, acts so strangely, he has never once
given me a pleasant word or look."

"I understand well enough," answered the helmsman. "Be on your guard
with Redbeard and your uncle; I don't dare to tell you any more. I'd
like to open your eyes, but I can't. Trust in God and your holy
guardian angel who saved you almost miraculously today. In the first
port that we put into Redbeard will answer for what he did today--and
for a few other things, too."

To the Captain Redfox reported, "I did not think it possible for that
boy to come down from the rigging alive, and now he is telling that I
tried to push him off the yard, and, of course, that numbskull of a
Green is only to ready to believe him. That fellow has got wind of
some things, too. We must see to it that he gets no chance to tell
what he knows or thinks he knows."

"You are my bad angel, Redfox, and want to drag me deeper and deeper
into crime," said the Captain. "Haven't I told you again and again
that I will not have that boy put out of the way?"

"Oh, you are always for half-way measures. I take no account of them
in my reckonings. It would have been very fine for you,
if--accidentally--he had fallen from the rigging," growled Redfox.

"No, no, I won't have any bloodshed," said the Captain most earnestly.
"There are enough things now for which I have to answer,--and there
will be more when we wreck the 'St. George' on one of t