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Once below Theriere found himself covered by his own revolver in the hands of a very desperate and a very unprincipled man He smiled at Byrne as the latter eyed him suspiciously

"See here, Byrne," said Theriere "It would be foolish forthis for love of you The fact is that I need you We cannot succeed, either one of us, alone I think you made a fool play when you hitwas that I was to be even a little rougher with you than usual, in order to avoid suspicion being attached to any see together I had the chance to bawl you out today, and I thought that you would understand that I was but taking advantage of the opportunity which it afforded toother than hatred between us--it ht have come in pretty handy later to have her believe that

"If I'd had any idea that you really intended hitting me you'd have been a dead man before your fist reached me, Byrne You took me entirely by surprise; but that's all in the past--I'ones, and help you out of the pretty pickle you've got yourself into Then we can go ahead with our work as though nothing had happened What do you say?"

"I didn't know yeh was kiddin," replied the mucker, "or I wouldn't have hit yeh Yeh acted like yeh meant it"

"Very well, that part's understood," said Theriere "Noill you co with the skipper so's you won't get ive you soet your food regularly and that you won't be beaten up the way you were before when he had you below If he won't agree to what I propose I give you my word to tell you so"

"Go ahead," said Billy Byrne; "I don't trust nobody wen I don't have to; but I'll be dinged if I see any other way out of it"

Theriere returned to the deck and seeking out the skipper drew hiet hiet a day or so in the cooler, with full rations and no beatings I think, sir, that that will be the easiest way out of it We cannot spare a et the fellow later we can always find some pretext"