Part 49 (1/2)

Flushi+ng up with anger, the lass from under his arhts stayed his hand, and he glanced forward to see To away ahead

”They ought to be punished,” he thought; ”but, poor fellows, they're tired out I will not be hard on the to the back of the cask, he reached over to scoop up soht hand to splash over them, and wake them up unseen, and then he felt quite a shock, for his hand did not touch water

He thought the cask was filled right up Then he was sure of it Yes, filled quite full Softly reaching over a little ain, but still could not reach

”It'sintently, he could hear a trickling sound, and then a faint splash soan to throb heavily, and stepping away from the hatch, he walked on tiptoe to where Tom Fillot stood close to the bowsprit, and laid his hand upon the man's shoulder

Tom Fillot started round fiercely

”Oh! you, sir,” he said in a tone of relief ”I thought--”

”Hist! Fetch up the other fellows quietly-armed”

”What's up, sir?”

”The Yanks have bored a hole through into the bottom of the cask, and the water's nearly out”

Tom ran aft, barefooted, and without a sound, while Mark stepped back to the hatch, and reached over to feel for the water once e of the cask against his armpit, he distinctly felt it heave up, as ifit from below

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

METHODICAL MADNESS

Those were thrilling moments in the darkness, as one side of the cask was heaved up and let down again, probably to try its weight, for it was by no means empty, and the water within washed to and fro, and thensound went on

Then ca, as of orders what to do; and Mark drew his dirk in an agony of desperation, wondering the while why he did not rouse up the blacks to help him

The moments seemed to be drawn out into minutes, theof the men's bare feet over the deck

Then they were about hi the side of the cask to hold it down, and the blacks sprang up, ready to strike at those around

”Yah!” growled Tom Fillot, fiercely; ”it's court- heave up of the hatch, but the atte that all had been discovered, a lol arose, and then, as if enraged beyond bearing at their failure, one of the h the bottom of the cask, but did no har out of the water through a second hole

”Shall we have it off now, sir, and nail down the hatch?”

”No,” said Mark; ”two of you open the cable tier, and hand out the chain”

”Again, sir?” whispered Tom

”Yes, man, quick!”