and carry, but not
much else."

"Then, lash his flippers down and put a bight on his legs," said Buckrow;
and he brought rope and began to fashion it into knots.

There was a minute when I was tempted to jump and run for it; but it
would have meant certain death, for the three of them stood over me, two
of them loaded down with pistols, and I would have had a poor chance of
getting away.

There was a promise of delay in the work to be done; and, not knowing
what had become of Captain Riggs, there was the bare possibility that he
might come upon the pirates' camp and attack them from ambush when he saw
that I was a captive.

If I made the slightest resistance to the hampering ropes they put on me,
with the cunning knots known to seamen, I knew they would not hesitate to
make an end of me. So I stood up and allowed Buckrow to lash my wrists to
my knees in such a way that I was bent nearly double, but with my hands
sufficiently free to grasp a burden, and my feet hobbled for short
steps.

We began the work of putting the sacks of gold into the hole in the
cliff, and I set at the task with a prayer that before it was finished
and my life was of no further value to the pirates I might find an
opportunity to escape.

CHAPTER XIX

"ONE MAN LESS IN THE FORECASTLE MESS"

"Ye can let him work with ye, Thirkle," said Buckrow. "As ye and the
writin' chap seem to have a lot of chin, pair off with him; and, as the
two of ye don't bear arms, he can't get his paws on a gun or knife that
way. You two work ahead of me and Petrak, and then we can keep an eye on
the both of ye.

"It strikes me you and the writin' chap is gettin' thick--too blasted
thick to suit me, Thirkle, if ye want to know. Mind ye don't come none of
yer smart tricks now, or I won't wait for ye to go explainin' of what ye
mean. Savvy that?"

"Tut, tut, man!" said Thirkle. "How can you have any doubts about what
will happen to Mr. Trenholm? I suppose you think I want to take him
along with us so he can write this all up for the newspapers? I'm
surprised at you, Bucky. Don't you know my ways yet?"

"That's all right," growled Buckrow, who was in an ill humour. "We was to
work even, and ye ain't been doin' yer part, Thirkle. A bargain's a
bargain I'd have ye know, and I'm to see ye keep to yer part of it."

"Pipe down--pipe down, Bucky," said Petrak, who seemed in glee after the
brandy he had had. "It's the drink talkin', Bucky. We're all good cha