Part 45 (1/2)

”Look at 'eht”

Jaded, their clothes torn in all directions, coated with mud, and with their faces smeared and scored, the blood stains on their cheeks and hands gave the returning party all the appearance of those who had been engaged in a fight for life

But it had only been an encounter with the terrible thorns and spines of the wild land they had explored, and the wounds, much as they had bled, were but skin deep

The boat-keepers leaped out, and ran the stern in as close as they could, and the captain was in the act of stepping in, placing a hand on Don's shoulder to steady hi tramp, when it seeliding up against his bare legs, and with a start of horror he sprang sidewise, with the result that the captain, as bearing down upon the lad's shoulder, fell sidewise into the sea

”You clu himself in his annoyance, worn out as he was, and irritable froht at Don's extended hand, and then as he rose struck the boy a heavy bloith his doubled fist right in the chest

Don staggered heavily, fell into the water, and then struggled up drenched as the captain was before hi about their relative positions and the difference in age, the boyofficer before him, and would have struck him in his blind wrath but for Bosun Jones, who had seen everything, and now hastily interposed

”No, no, ood

Allowthe heinousness of the social sin he was about to co wonderingly as the captain accepted Bosun Jones' help, stepped into the boat, and stood wringing hi to strike me!” cried the captain

”Surely not, sir,” said the boatswain hastily ”Only going to help you, sir”

”Helpto hit out Here, sir, what ht it was a shark, sir,” cried Jem ”One's been about the boat all the aft'noon”

”Hold your tongue, sir!” cried the captain sternly ”Here, you boy, what ht I felt the shark touch me, sir,” said Don, sullenly

”Oh, then I a idiot,” cried the captain ”I'll talk to you to-ive way”

”There's no boathook!” cried the coxswain; and on the keepers being called to account, their story was received with such manifest doubt, that Don writhed and sat sullenly in his place in the boat, as it was rowed back to the sloop

”Rather an absurd story that, Jones--about the boathook,” said the captain as he stepped on board ”Mind it is reported to- to strike me”

”But you struck him first,” said the boatswain to hi rascal Ah! Here, Lavington, what about that boathook? Let's have the simple truth One of the Maoris stole it, and you were afraid to speak?”

”I was not afraid to speak the truth, sir,” said Don; ”and I told it”

”But that's such a wild story Your messmate could not have driven it into a shark over the hook”

”I don't knohether it was driven in over the hook, sir,” replied Don; ”but it stuck in the fish's back and would not cohtfully, while Don waited to hear his words

”Look here, Lavington,” he said, ”I liked you, my lad, from the first, and I should be sorry for you to be in serious trouble I have been your friend, have I not?”

”I can't seeone away fro man, and a sailor is not allowed to ask questions as to what's right or wrong”

”But I was treated like a criminal,” said Don