, he, for answer, raised
his colt and smote the nearest negro a savage blow over the shoulders
with it.

Of course, after my possibly foolhardy threat there was but one thing to
do, and I did it forthwith, hitting out with my whole strength, catching
the boatswain fair between the eyes, and rolling him over like a
ninepin.

"Ha, ha! well hit!" exclaimed Mendouca, laughing heartily at the sight
of the boatswain as he reeled and fell under the feet of the negroes.
"I warned you, Jose, my lad; and now you see the evil results of
neglecting my warning! No, no," he hastily continued, starting to his
feet; "put up your knife, man; that will never do! I cannot afford to
spare Senor Dugdale--at least not just yet--ah! would you? Look out,
Dugdale! bravo! well hit again! Serves you right, Jose; you should
never draw your knife upon an unarmed man."

For the fellow had hastily scrambled to his feet, and, with his drawn
knife in his hand, made a rush at me, his eyes blazing with fury. And,
as the only way of defending myself at the moment, I had seized his
uplifted right hand with my left, giving it a wrench that sent the knife
spinning over the bulwarks into the sea, while with my right I again
knocked him down.

"Now, Jose," exclaimed Mendouca, "that ends the matter; do you hear? I
cannot spare Senor Dugdale, so if he is found with a knife between his
ribs I shall hold you responsible for it, and I give you my solemn
promise that I will run you up to the yard-arm and leave you there until
it will not matter to you what becomes of your miserable carcase. And I
hope that the thrashing you have received will make you use a little
more discrimination in the use of your colt. If a nigger _won't_ work,
_make_ him, by all means; but so long as they are willing to work
without thrashing, leave them alone, I say. As for you, Dugdale," he
continued, in English, "had I suspected that you really meant to carry
out your threat, I would have taken steps to prevent it. I will not
have my men interfered with in the execution of their duty. If they do
not perform their duty to my satisfaction, _I_ will take such steps as
may seem necessary for their correction, so you need not trouble
yourself further in that direction. Why, man, if I were to give you a
free hand, we should have a mutiny in less than a week. Moreover, you
have made one deadly enemy by knocking Jose down, and you may consider
yourself exceedingly fortunate if my