infernal, impudent--" he began; and here for a moment followed a string
of foul oaths from the man's lips, while he passed his hand behind his
back and drew forth a long knife. Then without a moment's further
hesitation he sprang up the steps to the poop.

The fiendishness of the attack took me off my guard, for I was not
prepared for such a serious fracas during the first half hour in command
of the deck; but I saw there was little time to lose. There were no
belaying-pins handy, so the thing for me was to get in as close as
possible and get the fellow's knife.

As he came up the steps, I rushed for him and kicked out with all my
strength, when his face was level with my knees. The toe of my heavy shoe
caught him solidly in the neck, and he went over backward almost in a
complete somersault, landing with a crash upon the main deck just outside
the window of Mr. Trunnell's room. He was stunned by the fall, and I
hastened down to seize him before he could recover. Just as I gained the
main deck, however, he gave a snort and started to his feet. Then he let
out a yell like a madman and closed with me, my right hand luckily
reaching his wrist below the knife.

It was up and down, and all over the deck for a time, the men crowding
aft around us, but fearing to take a hand. The fellow had enormous
strength, and the way he made that knife hand jump and twist gave me all
I could do to keep fast to it. Soon I found I was losing ground, and he
noted the fact, exerting himself more and more as he found me failing.
Then it dawned upon me that I was in a bad fix, and I tried to think
quickly for some means to save myself. In another mad struggle he would
wrench himself clear, and his ugly look told me plainly how much mercy I
could expect. I gave one last despairing grip on his wrist as he tore