chair and was soon asleep himself. Mr. Chris stood leaning over the rail just forward of the main rigging, and everything was quite still. The bank of cloud had risen half way up the heavens, but above all was clear and the stars were bright. I could hear the sea astern of us as it broke, but beyond that there was no sound. Every now and then a bright gleam in the water showed where some huge fish in the depth below was chasing its prey. The sea was thick with sharks; we had seen them all round us during the day. I thought once I heard the dip of a paddle, but looking in the direction of the sound saw nothing. I don't know how long I had been standing at the wheel; there was not a breath of wind. I suppose I had been leaning over the spokes and dreaming, but suddenly I was called to my senses by an appalling shriek! At the same moment I saw Captain Dane leap to his feet and grapple with a dark figure that stood over his wife with a long native knife raised in the air. It was the native woman I had seen in the canoe.
She flung her arms round the captain with a cry I shall never forget, at the same time throwing the knife from her to the deck. Even in that light I could see the crimson stain of blood upon the white wrapper the captain's wife had on.
Then an awful thing happened. The two swaying figures were wrestling together on the top of the little cabin, when suddenly with a long sigh and wail the wind came tearing along, and her main boom swung over from the port to starboard with a crash, sweeping the captain and the woman over-board into the sea together, as the vessel heeled over gunnel under. There was no time to think. Instinctively, I put the helm down, but she wouldn't come up. I was just in time to shove it hard over to leeward when she luckly paired off and righted.
We lowered our peaks and handed the canvas, and then held her before the wind the best way we could.
