“Your lie shan’t save you!” exclaimed Captain Brandon. “I’ll take you in hand myself, and we’ll see who’ll come off best.”
Harry turned pale. He knew that he was no match for a grown man, and he saw that in the present state of the captain’s temper he was likely to suffer severely. That he should dread the treatment he was likely to receive was only natural, but he showed no outward fear, save in the paleness of his cheeks. He stood manfully, with his lips compressed, waiting for the attack. But help came to him from an unexpected quarter.
“Stop one moment, Captain Brandon!” said the supercargo, and there was a tone of authority in the young man’s voice.
The captain turned.
“Mr. Weldon,” he said, “this is no affair of yours I will thank you to attend to your own business.”
“Captain Brandon, you are about to punish this boy for nothing.”
“Do you call that nothing?” asked the captain, indicating the caricature.
“He had no hand in it.”
“So he says.”
“He tells the truth.”