Then broke forth a general and simultaneous murmur which, had such testimony been wanting, would in itself have manifested that the unknown officer was scarcely more fortunate in his present than in his recent service.  Both parties united in condemning his interference; and from both sides were heard scornful opinions of his origin, mingled with certain fierce denunciations against his person.  Nothing daunted by such palpable evidences of the danger of his situation, our adventurer answered to their taunts with the most scornful smiles, challenging a single individual of them all to dare to step forth, and maintain his words by suitable actions.

“Hear him!” exclaimed his auditors.—­“He speaks like a King’s officer in chase of a smuggler!” cried one.—­“Ay, he’s a bold’un in a calm,” said a second.—­“He’s a Jonah, that has slipp’d into the cabin windows!” cried a third; “and, while he stays in the ‘Dolphin,’ luck will keep upon our weather-beam”—­“Into the sea with him! overboard with the upstart! into the sea with him! where he’ll find that a bolder and a better man has gone before him!” shouted a dozen at once; some of whom immediately gave very unequivocal demonstrations of an intention to put their threat in execution.  But two forms instantly sprang from the crowd, and threw themselves, like angry lions, between Wilder and his foes.  The one, who was foremost in the rescue, faced short upon the advancing seamen, and with a blow from an arm that was irresistible, level led the representative of Neptune to his feet, as though he had been a mere waxen image of a man The other was not slow to imitate his example; and, as the throng receded before this secession from its own numbers, the latter, who was Fid, flourished a fist that was as big as the head of a sizeable infant, while he loudly vociferated,—­

“Away with ye, ye lubbers! away with ye!  Would you run foul of a single man, and he an officer and such an officer as ye never set eyes on be fore, except, mayhap, in the fashion that a cat looks upon a king?  I should like to see the man, among ye all, who can handle a heavy ship, in a narrow channel, as I have seen master Harry here handle the saucy”—­

“Stand back,” cried Wilder, forcing himself between his defenders and his foes.  “Stand back, I say, and leave me alone to meet the audacious villains.

“Overboard with him! overboard with them all!” cried the seamen, “he and his knaves together!”

“Will you remain silent, and see murder done before your eyes?” exclaimed Mrs Wyllys, rushing from her place of retreat, and laying a hand eagerly on the arm of the Rover.

He started like one who was awakened suddenly from a light sleep, looking her full and intently in the eye.

“See!” she added, pointing to the violent throng below, where every sign of an increased commotion was exhibiting itself.  “See, they kill your officer, and there is none to help him!”