her in toward shore, or the coast of the mainland,
before reaching the point, unless the pirates showed themselves.

"We'll make a northing up the channel," he said, "If they think we are
getting away they may take after us in a boat, or fire from the shore;
but if we show we are going to land they will keep hidden and take us by
surprise. If we should head straight in now they would likely hide in the
brush and pot-shot us as we land when we are in the surf; but you watch
old Cap Riggs, and if we don't give this Devil's Admiral the fight of his
life before this little party is wiped out, I'll go back on the farm in
Maine. He can't come aboard me and perform like that without getting paid
for it--Bloody Thirkle, Devil's Admiral, nor nobody else. You watch my
smoke, young man."

The leg-o'-mutton sail pulled steadily and we slapped along through the
water at a merry pace, with the water bubbling at the lee rail and the
ripples frothing up through the seams in the planks. It was a wet craft,
but we were in our bare feet, with our trousers rolled up.

Rajah was in the bow with his _sarong_ twisted into a belt, and his black
shoulders and arms bare to the sun, his head swathed in a turban made
from a faded green port-curtain, giving him an outlandish aspect,
reminding me of a pilgrim returning from Mecca.

"We've got Johnny Sharkee for an escort," said Riggs, pointing aft, and I
saw the fin of the big man-eater cutting the water in our wake. "If he
don't sheer off by the time we are ready to make a landing, we may have
to give him a bullet or two, but I want to get in without any racket if I
can."

We were soon in deep water, and Riggs made fast his tiller while he read
a burial service out of a pocket-testament, and we dropped the body of
Harris over the side. It was a brief enough ceremony, and I was inclined
to believe that Captain Riggs made it altogether too much a matter of
little account, until I saw there was a tear in his eye, and he hastily
used the binoculars on the island.

"Put your helm to starboard," he directed. "I want to keep screened
behind the point and gradually work in toward shore. Then we'll make a
quick run for it in near the point, if they don't show by the time we
have the inlet on this side of the rocks abeam. They probably went around
the point, and we'll hunt for 'em on that side if we can make a safe
landing."

We slopped along for another while, and slowly worked in until we had the
b