The young man's struggles only increased the violence which was used in his removal. The boys would have killed the man who had attempted the lives of all the crew if they had been directed to do so.
Then Ned turned back to the Captain, now foaming with rage and calling to his son to remain docile until his turn should come.
"You pride yourself on having put me off without any information whatever," the boy said. "You advise me to come again and meet with the same treatment. Now, let me tell you, for your information, that I came in here to get answers to only two questions."
"Did you get them?"
"Indeed I did," was the reply.
The Captain looked disgusted.
"What were they?" he asked.
"I wanted to know if the man who landed from the Shark had the packet, and if he took it back on board with him. You gave me the information I sought. You even told me that the packet had not been opened when you saw it."
The Captain stormed up and down the little room in a towering rage.
"If I could turn a lever now and blow us all into eternity," he shouted, "I would do it!"