will be no time to spare for
explanations. And now, good-bye, my dear girl; good-bye, and God bless
you."

In another moment the parting was over, and the two men stood at the
gangway, beneath which the boat was lying loaded and manned, and only
waiting for them to step into her before shoving off for the shore.

Young Manners at once went down the side and seated himself in the gig's
stern-sheets, and Captain Blyth prepared to follow him. As he stood on
the rail, however, he turned and faced the men, who had all gathered in
the waist to witness his departure, and raised his hand for silence; a
signal which was instantly obeyed.

"Just a word or two before we part for ever, men," he said. "You have a
noble ship under your feet, and you are doubtless flattering yourselves
that when you have once fairly rid yourselves of my presence, your
troubles--whatever they may be--will all be at an end. You are
mistaken, however. Until you and I are parted your crime is not
irreparable; it is even now not too late for you to repent and make
restitution, and so stave off the punishment which _must_ follow the
consummation of your wickedness. You have a noble ship under you feet,
I say; and you probably think that in her you can defy the law, and
laugh to scorn the idea of capture. But, men, whether you believe it or
not, _there is a God_ whose power is great enough to overturn your best
planned schemes in a moment, and think not that He will allow your sin
to go unpunished, or your plans for future crime to prosper. At the
moment when you least expect it--when you are feeling most secure--His
vengeance will fall upon you as a consuming fire. In His hands I leave
you."

And turning his back upon the mutineers, Captain Blyth quietly descended
the side-ladder, seated himself alongside Manners, and gave the order to
shove oh.

CHAPTER TEN.

REFUGE HARBOUR.

Captain Blyth's valedictory speech was not without its effect upon some
at least of the mutineers, who regarded each other with startled eyes,
which dumbly but plainly asked the question:

"Is what we are doing worth the risk?"

Williams--who, it need scarcely be said, was one of the hardened ones
upon whom the skipper's words produced no impression--saw plainly what
was passing in the minds of the others, and hastened to annul the effect
produced.

"That was a very clever speech of the old man's--very clever," he
remarked sardonically. "There was only one