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Rh "To be sure I was, and I came pretty close to drowning, too," answered Dan. "But I floated around and a high wave landed me right back on board of the Dart and there I remained, satisfied that it was as good a place as any so long as the schooner floated."

"And were you on her when the Dart was carried ashore?"

"I was, and what is more I did what I could toward steering her into the river mouth, where she now lies. The steering gear was all right, and I thought I might be able to save her from becoming a total wreck."

"But—but, didn't Captain Kenny attack you?"

"Did he? Indeed he did and tried to kill me by throwing me into the sea. But a Tagal saved me and made me a prisoner. I was kept in custody two days, when the Tagals had a fight with some Spanish soldiers, and I escaped in the confusion and struck out for Manila. I thought I was completely lost, when I ran across a scouting party from the Starlight and was taken on board by them. I had some little tropical fever, and I'm not very well yet."

This was the outline of Dan's story, which he later on told in all of its details. The story proved two things: that Captain Kenny was even a worse villain than I had supposed him to be,