In that moment I had seen by torchlight that the pinnace was clear of the ship and that the men with their guns and spikes were holding off the natives. I had seen, too, a spear flash across the space of open water and cut down one of the men. But already my adversary was at me again, and with his two calloused hands he once more was gripping my throat. I exerted all my strength to keep from being throttled. I tried to scream, but could only gurgle. His head danced before me and seemed to swing in circles. I felt myself losing strength. I rallied desperately, only to be thrown. Then, suddenly, I realized that he had let me go and had sat down beside me breathing heavily. It was the man from Boston whose nose had been broken. He eyed me curiously as if an idea had come upon him by surprise. "I didn't go to fight so hard, mate," he gasped, "but you did act so kind of vicious that I just had to." "You what?" I exclaimed, not believing my ears. "It's the only way I had to come over to your side," he said with a whimper. "Falk would 'a' killed me if I'd just up an' come, though I wanted to, honest I did." I put my hand on my throbbing shoulder, and stared at him incredulously. "You don't need to look at me like that," he sniveled. "Didn't I stand by Bill Hayden to the last along with you? Ain't I human? Ain't I got as much appreciation as any man of what it means to have a murderin' pair of officers like Captain Falk and Mr. Kipping? You don't suppose, do you, that I'd stay by 'em without I had to?" I was somewhat impressed by his argument, and he, perceiving it, continued vehemently, "I _had_ to fight with you. They'd 'a' killed you, too, if I hadn't." There was truth in that. Unquestionably they would have shot me down without hesitation if we two had not grappled in such a lively tussle that they could not hit one without hitting the other. We got up and leaned on the bulwark and looked down at the boat, which rode easily on the slow, oily swell. There in the stern-sheets the torchlight now revealed Falk. "I'm lawful master of this vessel," he called back, looking up at the men who lined the side. "I'll see you hanged from the yard-arm yet, you white-livered wharf-rats, and you, too, you cabin-window popinjay!"--I knew that he meant me.--"There'll come a day, by God! There'll come a day!" The men in the boat gave way, and it disappeared in the darkness and mist, its sides bristling with weapons. But still Falk's voice came back to us shrilly, "I'll see you yet a-hanging by your necks," until at last we could only hear him cursing. CHAPTER XXIII WHAT WE FOUND IN THE CABIN Now some one called, "Ben! Ben Lathrop! Where are you?" "Here I am," I cried as loudly as I could. "Well, Ben, what's this? Are you wounded?" It was Roger, and when he saw with whom I was talking he smiled. "Well, Bennie," he cried, "so we've got a prisoner, have we?" "No, sir," whimpered the man from Boston, "not a prisoner. I come over, I did."