HIS PROPERTY--CONCLUSION.

Gerald and Norman Foley did their utmost to comfort Owen Massey, who was
almost in despair, as he thought of the fearful danger to which Norah
and her father would be subjected in the power of O'Harrall. To what
extremities might he not proceed? His rage, too, would be great on
finding that Owen and his companions had escaped from the island, and he
might vent it on the hapless prisoners in his power.

"Should he dare to ill-treat them, swift vengeance will overtake him,"
observed Norman.

"Yes; but the fear of that will not influence the man," exclaimed Owen,
pressing his hand to his brow. "Would that I had remained on the
island! I might in some way have afforded them protection--or the kind
black woman would have done so."

"Bad as he is, he will not surely venture to injure my young sister and
fine old father," said Gerald.

Owen, however, who had witnessed the fierce bursts of passion to which
O'Harrall was accustomed to give way, still feared the worst.

He, with the lieutenant and Gerald, was walking the deck, when his eye
fell on Dillon, with the boatswain standing on the watch new him.

"Why, that is one of the fellows who betrayed the _Ouzel Galley_ into
the hands of the enemy!" said Owen.

"He is a deserter from the _Champion_," observed Norman Foley, "and is
the man who has now undertaken to pilot us into the pirate's harbour.
When did he join the _Ouzel Galley_?"

"At Kingston, with some other fellows of the same stamp," answered Owen;
"and I have good cause to regret having received them."

"They must have been with you, then, when I boarded the _Ouzel Galley_
as you went out of Port Royal," Gerald took the opportunity of
observing, after Norman Foley had left them.

Owen confessed that such was the case. "If you had done your duty, you
would have discovered them," he could not refrain from adding.

"You are right, Owen," said Gerald. "I now see that every neglect of
duty must produce bad consequences, but I suppose, as it was your
business to conceal them from me because you wanted a crew, so it was
mine to have discovered them. However, the less we say about the matter
the better just now."

Owen felt a strong inclination to speak to the man Routh, or Dillon, to
learn how O'Harrall had behaved towards his prisoners before they were
taken on board the _Ouzel Galley_.

With the greatest effrontery, Dillon nodded to him as he approached.
"So, Captain Masse