drag the ruffian away, for at that minute I would have offered no
objection whatever to seeing the skipper make a target of him; but
Trunnell and the sailor Jim instantly seized Andrews, while he cursed the
captain and dared him shoot. He struggled vainly to get free of his
lashings, but the little bushy-headed mate tucked him under his arm,
while Jim took his feet, and the crowd of gaping men broke away as they
went forward.




III


After I had recovered from my somewhat violent exertions, and bound up
the slight cut that Andrews had made in my hand with his knife, eight
bells had struck, and the steward brought aft the cabin hash. The skipper
went below, and Trunnell and I followed.

Captain Thompson seated himself at the head of the table and signed for
us to take our places; then it suddenly occurred to me that I was only
second mate, and consequently did not rate the captain's table. Trunnell
noticed my hesitation, but said nothing, and the skipper fell to with
such a hearty good will that he appeared to entirely forget my presence.
I hastily made some excuse to get back on deck, and the little,
bushy-headed mate smiled and nodded approvingly at me as I went up the
alleyway forward. I was much pleased at this delicate hint on his part,
for many mates would have made uncalled-for remarks at such a blunder. It
showed me that the little giant who could keep me from being carved to
rat-line stuff could be civil also.